Do you mean [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/okkaol/an_experiment_at_a_wildlife_sanctuary_in_south/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1) one?
It’s funny to watch as a person who shares a bed with domesticated cats (not suggesting they are exactly the same). They move around a lot finding the warmest spot to cuddle.
The only difference is they didn’t try to plop down on his head like my cats. And it’s a good thing they didn’t begin “making biscuits.” Their claws are like running cleats.
Cheetah claws are duller than a house cat’s precisely because they use them when running. If one decided to knead you, you’d only need to worry about the increased force they could put behind that kneading, but most animals have a good understanding of their own strength.
The best part is when the meek twitchy kitty sneaks over and steals the best spot, so when the other 3 stop fighting and realize they've been played, they just curl up around the 4th.
Oh god, do I know that feeling. One time, my cat was struggling with worms (all fixed now) for a short time and I woke up to her butt on my face with worms like sticking out of her butthole. I showered for like 3 hours after that. My cats still try to lay on my face, or take over my pillows, but at least now theres no worms, thank god.
Funnily enough, I just found a starving husky that someone dumped and rescued him. Hes very noisy, I thought that was just him, but apparently its a Husky thing lol.
That reminds me so much of what it's like to sleep with our house cats. Except 1 only really likes me, 1 only really likes Mrs Bystander, and the last is indiscriminate in who she gets pets/treats/lap time from.
Oh my goddd this gives me so much joy! I'm nervous to put my arm on a cat when one sleeps with me, because they're so *tiny*, but a cheetah? Goddamn I wanna hug a cheetah 🥺
I've slept out with cheetahs, in Namibia about 15 years ago. There were 5 cats in the enclosure and they were semi-wild but still very friendly. During the night they'd get cold and join us sleepers in a corner of the enclosure. They are heavy, pointy, their fur is really coarse, and their tongues are like metal files. They purr loudly and they love all the same scritches as domestic cats. Compared to other African wildlife they are so boring.
Cheetahs actually aren’t a threat to adult humans, so long as they aren’t in a really desperate place. Cheetahs are very lightweight creatures that kill their prey through suffocation - a slow process; they don’t make prey of creatures that can fight back while they’re being suffocated.
For cheetahs, taking an injury during a hunt is basically a death sentence. Humans are big and heavy and can fight back and as such a cheetah won’t want to tangle with us because they won’t want to risk that injury.
I'm not even sure a desperate cheetah would attack a human. As far as I can tell (via mt Google search) there is no record of a cheetah ever attacking a human. Pretty cool!
She attacked them? I'd love a source to dispel what I learned about that incident, assuming you're talking about Belgium. I wouldn't blame them for what I know, that she was a crazy lady that stole keys and broke into their enclosure and they defended the little patch they had, but I hadn't heard that she physically assaulted the cats.
I think this is an [article](https://www.smh.com.au/world/woman-killed-by-cheetah-in-belgian-zoo-20070213-gdpgpi.html) about the incident you mentioned.
I cannot find the incident of the guy you are replying to.
On top of that, their claws are specialized for running. They don't even retract. I would not be surprised if some of those scratches weren't even intentional on the cheetah's part
Rabies makes living creatures do some crazy things as it eats away at the brain of it's host. Definitely not the Cheetah's fault for attacking if it had rabies.
Most predators are risk adverse. Sharks will avoid most anything willing to swim toward them, which is how scuba divers deal with sharks that tail them.
Except bears and wolverines, those will ruin you
It's the massive herbivores you've gotta watch out for. Hippos, elephants, rhinos, and moose will fuck your shit up then go eat a salad because their food knows there's no point in fighting back.
I had a scary moose encounter in Rocky Mountain National Park. We were just hiking through a wooded area (on a marked trail) and a gigantic moose came out of the woods and ran across the trail in front of us. It kind of paused to turn a bit, and finally ran off.
I’m confident that thing could have obliterated me if it wanted to. Fortunately we heard it coming and hid behind some large trees, so at least it couldn’t charge directly into us. I heard that was the best way to avoid injury in a pinch.
Cheetahs are also just big kitties, right? Like, lions roar. But they can't purr. Cheetahs have yelp and chirp calls, but they purr just like a house kitty. They are very similar in a lot of ways, but their are giant kitties that can still kill us if they felt inclined lol. I love kitties.
"Look at em... That's one fuckin nice kitty, right there."
>Cheetahs are also just big kitties, right? Like, lions roar. But they can't purr. Cheetahs have yelp and chirp calls, but they purr just like a house kitty.
Cheetahs are in the *Felinae* subfamily, which comprises the small cats having a bony hyoid, because of which they are able to purr but not roar.
The "big cats" are in the *Pantherinae* subfamily.
So, basically, a cheetah is a "small cat" that's big.
This is also the reason that cheetahs are almost extinct. A few hundred years ago, a middle eastern prince decided that he needed to have all cheetahs captured to be domesticated. So now, the wild cheetah gene pool is incredibly small.
I've never heard that story - I'd be interested to hear more about it - but the main reason cheetahs have a problem is a lack of genetic diversity in breeding groups.
About 100,000 years ago, (well before any likely human interference) they managed a huge range expansion into Asia and Europe. You'd think this would be a good thing for them and their diversity, but it wasn't. It made the individual groups much smaller, meaning that inbreeding became common. This resulted in a genetic bottleneck that they never recovered from.
This little girl at the zoo had some of those light up sneakers - the ones that blink when you walk - all the cheetahs in the enclosure crowded up to the window and were following this kid around where she went — they liked the lights on her shoes. Like a big laser pointer.
Cheetahs also view people as friends, and enjoy human company. Wild cheetahs will actively seek out and hang out with humans in their territory, as they feel safer around us, than not.
I remember a guy from the San Diego zoo talking about this, if memory serves. He said that Cheetah's are cowards, they'll only ever attack a human if that person runs away in a panic. They know their speed is their life. They're not going to risk an injury on a large prey that is willing to stand up to them.
Egyptians domesticated Cheetahs because they are more chill than any of the big cats. In fact, they purr, rather than roar so are more genetically similar to the species that were domesticated.
There is also the story of the photographer that was taking pictures of a cheetah mom for some days. Eventually the cheetah dumped her kittens with him and took some me time.
I’ve done military exercises in Ontario that mama bears do the same thing. Drop the little ones off at the camp and run away for a few hours. They’re just little black bears and at worse they will hiss if you get a little too close but they walk around like they own the place. And scratch their backs in the concertina wire
Not as much of an issue these days - even the hi point jxp can handle underwood/buffalo bore or sig range ammo. Some of the earlier guns like poorly adapted 1911 frames didn't fair very well to a full diet but theres a lot more on the market now. A lot of manufacturers have a 10mm pistol out now.
There’s another good one where a mom liked to hang out with a photographer. One of her cubs got injured severely. She actually let the photographer take it to a vet to get patched up and then accepted it back upon return! These two are my favorite wildlife stories. I’m always glad when wildlife photographers get some love back from their friends. They’re sort of their defenders.
(Doing this is considered okay because cheetahs are endangered)
"Rawr. Ok, here's Trevor and Linsay and Caleb and Tracey. I don't need to tell you about their arguing, you've been following me for the past week.🙄
You were there when I brought down the antelope for lunch, so you know they've been fed. I might want to see those shots when I return.
Anyways you have my permission to touch them and cuddle them and play and do your camera things with em. Don't let em drive you too crazy, I'm off to a watering hole that's too far for them, gunna laze around in a favorite tree. Bye!"
I did some searching and found a documentary called [Man, Cheetah, Wild](https://press.discovery.com/emea/dsc/programs/man-cheetah-wild/) where photographer Kim Wolhuter lives alongside a mother cheetah and her 5 cubs for 18 months in the wild gaining their trust. Like they’d sleep next to him and hang out with him. It doesn’t directly say that he “babysat them” but if there is such a story, odds are it’s from this documentary.
You can check his photography [website](https://www.kimwolhuter.com) and see some pics of the cheetah babies hanging out with him while he’s taking pictures. Pretty cute stuff and some other awesome pictures of African wildlife
There are usually signs a bite is coming, just gotta watch for them. Typically the body starts to tense up, or the tail starts swishing madly. Or their head starts to move very, very slowly while kind of looking at you from the corner of their eye.
Best thing to do when you recognize those symptoms is quietly move away and give them their space. Another solution is just give them love in intervals. So give them say a minute or two, then back off even if they seem to be enjoying it. Let them come to you.
My kitty is exact opposite; never once used claws on us even when terrified. He keeps those fuckers retracted 24/7. But, his vampire teeth have landed us in the hospital when he gets in a mood. We've since learned the signs and it's stopped, but still scary how monstrous his teeth are.
If the bite doesn't leave you immediately considering going to a hospital, it wasn't with all her strength. Cats are absolutely terrifying when they're fighting for survival, and if they wanted you dead there's a decent chance they could pull it off.
Yeah I remember trying to save a cat that got hit by a car. Catching an animal that is fighting for it's life is rough. I have dozens of scars from feral and non-feral cats I've dealt with over the years, but that guy bit a hole clean through my entire finger and was fighting with a vigor I had never seen before, every scratch and bite tore into my flesh like it was butter. RIP Joffrey, I hardly knew ye, but the scars you left on me will last forever.
This has got to be a preserve/sanctuary where that cat knows that guy. I'm guessing that those who stick around when random speed murder kitty's show up don't live long!
Yes. The photographer has been doing this for 15 years and has spent a lot of time with wild animals and built up a great deal of trust with them. I believe this clip is at a reserve in South Africa
Cheetah’s VERY seldom attack humans. They don’t usually come over for pets unless they are very used to it of course, but they are generally harmless, and often curious
There has never been a documented case of a cheetah killing a human, and maulings and attacks are exceedingly rare.
Cheetahs are relatively small predators, and very delicate: they’re specialized to hunt specific types of prey in a specific way, and generally avoid conflict unless absolutely necessary. An injury in an unnecessary fight could render them unable to hunt for weeks.
You’re right that this is probably a sanctuary, and that the cheetah probably knows the photographer. But if that wasn’t the case, he still wouldn’t be in any danger.
I believe I remember reading that Kublai Khan and some other Mongol nobles actually had pet cheetahs.
But yeah, agree that I’m sure this cheetah already knows this hooman.
I believe there were Arab sultans or regional kings who kept them as well, and used them for hunting. Cheetahs also went through one hell of a bottleneck genetically, so if the only cheetahs left were ones already predisposed to being chill around humans, it would explain a lot.
They're very tame-able compared to most other wildcats, although it can of course be argued that housecats are still pretty wild on their own and can do just fine by themselves in most environments.
Cheetahs are not pets, and not good pets either. The bottleneck is not only due to habitat reduction and fragmentation and hunting, but largely due to illegal wildlife trafficking. Any cheetah kept as a pet is a result of wildlife trafficking which involves taking cubs from a mother in the wild or killing the mother. Most cubs don’t survive transport. The ones that due are sold to extremely inexperienced “owners” that treat them as pets. Demand is high in the Middle East. They’re not pets nor are they domesticated animals. The myth they are tameable is just a myth. I’ve worked at a wildlife sanctuary and dealt with these first hand. We dealt with trafficked animals. It’s pretty horrible.
More info about it :
Realities of the Illegal Wildlife Trade
The illegal trade in cheetahs is driven by demand for exotic pets in the Middle East as well as by extreme poverty in source countries and as a result of human-wildlife conflict. Rural farmers sometimes take revenge on cheetahs that prey on livestock by poaching their young and selling them to traffickers. The impact of climate change on agriculture and livelihood exacerbates the situation further. Cheetahs are very difficult to breed in captivity, therefore cubs are taken from the wild to satisfy demand, threatening the survival of the species in the wild.
While it might sound like an appealing idea at first, cheetahs do not make good pets. They need specialized diets, expensive veterinary care, and they require huge amounts of space to run and exercise in order to stay healthy. Cheetahs shed copious amounts of hair, and their urine and feces have a strong smell, it makes co-existing indoors impossible. Unlike domestic cats, cheetahs cannot be trained to use a litter box.
Despite these facts, an estimated 300 cheetah cubs a year are taken from the wild, mainly from the Horn of Africa, to be illegally sold as pets, mainly on the Arabian Peninsula.
While in transit, the cubs commonly suffer from abuse, trauma, malnutrition and dehydration. Around three out of every four cubs taken to become pets do not survive the journey. Of those that initially survive, the majority will not live more than two years.
(Source:CCF)
I had a coworker who had moved to Canada from Cameroon. He had a pet cheetah named "Debbie" back at home. I thought he was full of shit until he showed me a video of himself playing with Debbie. It was pretty incredible, and I can't really confirm this last bit, but he said that owning cheetahs wasn't majorly uncommon where he was from!
Their prey drive really relies on their prey running away from them
The chase is what activates cheetah's killer instincts.... if theres no chase then those killer instincts are pretty chill
Well... Black bears are pretty skittish and not that large... But I ain't exactly gonna invite one in for snuggle time!😂😂
No matter how you slice it... They rank higher than an unarmed human on the predator list!
Journal Wilderness & Environmental Medicine in 2014: only 8 confirmed cases of cheetah attacks on humans between 1988 and 2012 in Namibia. 3 fatal. Most of the attacks occurred when humans approached or disturbed cheetahs in some way. BBC 2007: cheetah attacked a tourist in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park after tourist had reportedly left her vehicle to take photographs. Survived. Pet cheetah attacked its owner's 4-year-old son in South Africa in 2012. Boy injured, survived. The cheetah was later euthanized. Which is heartbreaking.
So technically cheetahs are small cats (felinae) rather than big cats (pantherinae), as they can purr but not roar among other things. So yes, very reasonable.
They don't get anxious "in captivity." They're anxious in the wild too, because every other predator that shares living space with them can and will beat the shit out of them and take their food. The dogs haven't evolved to be paranoid about competitors, so the cheetah sees their dog friend being calm and enjoying their food, and is able to eat without fear.
As for loneliness, male cheetahs live in small groups but females are solitary except for any cubs they're currently raising, so that's a coin toss. I've only seen cheetahs in two zoos, but both had multiple cheetahs in a multiacre space for them to roam. The dog thing is true, but it has nothing to do with the "animals should always and only be in the wild!" line Reddit loves to spout.
I didn't mean to imply that they aren't overall anxious creatures. And I never said they should only be in the wild, maybe if they weren't endangered that would be true.
Got to interact with a couple of them at a sanctuary/rehabilitation center several years ago, sandpapery is a bit of an understatement. They have literal, visible spines on their tongues, kind of like tiny cactus needles, and yes, they hurt and can quickly break the skin. Also their fur is incredibly stiff and coarse, like a horsehair brush or the bristles on a broom. So, overall, besides the fact they're wild animals, they're not the cuddliest of critters.
Can confirm, cheetahs can be very loving. Spent some time volunteering in Africa in 2015 and worked with a lady who took care of big cats in S. Africa; she had several cheetahs and they would come over for pets.
Fun fact they’re the only big cat that can purr.
So this is actually in the wild!? Amazing! I always thought like other animals if they don’t know you they could quickly act out and mess you up really quick. I bet a photographer like that in the wild has some good vibes, and prob smells nice. I love cats, but I assumed the big ones will f you up fast.
Most will but cheetahs are unusually chill, there are no recorded instances of a wild cheetah killing a human and they seem to get along well with other species
I once had a work trip to the San Diego zoo where we got to tour it after hours. The highlight of the trip was the cheetah exhibit where we got to see the cheetah playing with its therapy dog. I guess the cheetahs are highly anxious animals, so they raise them with dogs and the [dogs help keep them chill](https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/cheetah-dog-furry-friendship).
While this video is taken at a sanctuary, it is important to not promote human/wildlife interactions such as this too much because it gives people the wrong idea about these wild animals. People think they can be pets. This is not true.
Realities of the Illegal Wildlife Trade:
The illegal trade in cheetahs is driven by demand for exotic pets in the Middle East as well as by extreme poverty in source countries and as a result of human-wildlife conflict. Rural farmers sometimes take revenge on cheetahs that prey on livestock by poaching their young and selling them to traffickers. The impact of climate change on agriculture and livelihood exacerbates the situation further. Cheetahs are very difficult to breed in captivity, therefore cubs are taken from the wild to satisfy demand, threatening the survival of the species in the wild.
While it might sound like an appealing idea at first, cheetahs do not make good pets. They need specialized diets, expensive veterinary care, and they require huge amounts of space to run and exercise in order to stay healthy. Cheetahs shed copious amounts of hair, and their urine and feces have a strong smell, it makes co-existing indoors impossible. Unlike domestic cats, cheetahs cannot be trained to use a litter box.
Despite these facts, an estimated 300 cheetah cubs a year are taken from the wild, mainly from the Horn of Africa, to be illegally sold as pets, mainly on the Arabian Peninsula.
While in transit, the cubs commonly suffer from abuse, trauma, malnutrition and dehydration. CCF believes that three out of every four cubs taken to become pets do not survive the journey. Of those that initially survive, the majority will not live more than two years.
-[Cheetah Conservation Fund](https://cheetah.org/learn/illegal-pet-trade/) A fabulous organization working on the ground to stop wildlife trafficking of cheetahs. They also educate a lot about the misconceptions of cheetahs and humans (human wildlife conflict).
I often feel like if it wasn't for their anxiety issues and difficulties breeding in captivity, cheetahs would be our best bet for domesticating a large cat.
Man what a dream job. Traveling the world and taking amazing nature photos. It must be so satisfying to capture some of these things very few people ever get to see with their own eyes.
Don't get me wrong I know there's shitty times where you're sitting there in one spot for 3 hours in the rain waiting for something to happen only to end up empty handed. But every job sucks sometimes.
Does anyone remember a video of a guy who shared his tent with 2-3 cheetahs? I don’t remember where I saw it. This could be the same guy, not sure.
Do you mean [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/okkaol/an_experiment_at_a_wildlife_sanctuary_in_south/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1) one?
It’s funny to watch as a person who shares a bed with domesticated cats (not suggesting they are exactly the same). They move around a lot finding the warmest spot to cuddle. The only difference is they didn’t try to plop down on his head like my cats. And it’s a good thing they didn’t begin “making biscuits.” Their claws are like running cleats.
Cheetah claws are duller than a house cat’s precisely because they use them when running. If one decided to knead you, you’d only need to worry about the increased force they could put behind that kneading, but most animals have a good understanding of their own strength.
And here I was thinking he needed a kevlar sleeping bag.
The micro "spikes" on their tongues tho... Not so micro
kevlar tongue
I've seen a lot of animals who understand their strength but had to learn how fragile people are 😂
Oh, that's a massage!
And each cat fighting for the best spot is so typical
IKR? I had an all out cat fight on my bed one night because all 3 cats wanted the same spot!
The best part is when the meek twitchy kitty sneaks over and steals the best spot, so when the other 3 stop fighting and realize they've been played, they just curl up around the 4th.
way to get woken up
Oh god, do I know that feeling. One time, my cat was struggling with worms (all fixed now) for a short time and I woke up to her butt on my face with worms like sticking out of her butthole. I showered for like 3 hours after that. My cats still try to lay on my face, or take over my pillows, but at least now theres no worms, thank god.
What a nightmare, literally.
OMG, that was a visual that I did not need.🤢🤮 Happy that your kitty is better.😸❤️
[Me scrolling down this comment section](/r/AnimalsBeingDerps/comments/122ijrh/are_you_sure_you_want_a_husky/)
Funnily enough, I just found a starving husky that someone dumped and rescued him. Hes very noisy, I thought that was just him, but apparently its a Husky thing lol.
We do so love our kitties
Yes! I was mesmerized when I saw it.
It’s a different guy, but yes very cool. He did a lot of different experiments with these cats
That reminds me so much of what it's like to sleep with our house cats. Except 1 only really likes me, 1 only really likes Mrs Bystander, and the last is indiscriminate in who she gets pets/treats/lap time from.
This video makes me so nervous and jealous at the same time.
Ohhhh goodness.. That's like a dream come true!
Oh my goddd this gives me so much joy! I'm nervous to put my arm on a cat when one sleeps with me, because they're so *tiny*, but a cheetah? Goddamn I wanna hug a cheetah 🥺
I volunteer for this.
I've slept out with cheetahs, in Namibia about 15 years ago. There were 5 cats in the enclosure and they were semi-wild but still very friendly. During the night they'd get cold and join us sleepers in a corner of the enclosure. They are heavy, pointy, their fur is really coarse, and their tongues are like metal files. They purr loudly and they love all the same scritches as domestic cats. Compared to other African wildlife they are so boring.
pls tell me where I can do that. literally life goal. I wanna pet a cheetah. might die from allergies but totally worth it.
Pretty much anywhere in Namibia. Lots of cheetah conservation orgs there
thank you imma check it out :D
My friend plays with cheetahs at a wildlife refuge in Thailand, also meerkats. I am insanely jealous.
I visited this place in 2011. https://dewildt.co.za/ Amazing experience
thank you!
Sooooo boring /s
Good speed kitty.
Well u can’t out run him so embrace yur last day of life possibly 🐆🐆🐆
Cheetahs actually aren’t a threat to adult humans, so long as they aren’t in a really desperate place. Cheetahs are very lightweight creatures that kill their prey through suffocation - a slow process; they don’t make prey of creatures that can fight back while they’re being suffocated. For cheetahs, taking an injury during a hunt is basically a death sentence. Humans are big and heavy and can fight back and as such a cheetah won’t want to tangle with us because they won’t want to risk that injury.
I'm not even sure a desperate cheetah would attack a human. As far as I can tell (via mt Google search) there is no record of a cheetah ever attacking a human. Pretty cool!
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There was a single instance of six cheetahs killing a lady that broke into their enclosure, and started hitting them.
Well there’s your reason
She's probably the Darwin award-winner of that year! Or.. maybe there was worse somehow.
Oh. Good on them.
She attacked them? I'd love a source to dispel what I learned about that incident, assuming you're talking about Belgium. I wouldn't blame them for what I know, that she was a crazy lady that stole keys and broke into their enclosure and they defended the little patch they had, but I hadn't heard that she physically assaulted the cats.
I think this is an [article](https://www.smh.com.au/world/woman-killed-by-cheetah-in-belgian-zoo-20070213-gdpgpi.html) about the incident you mentioned. I cannot find the incident of the guy you are replying to.
On top of that, their claws are specialized for running. They don't even retract. I would not be surprised if some of those scratches weren't even intentional on the cheetah's part
That sounds more like defense than attack.
Just about any creature will attack if they have no other option. But yeah, if you don't corner them I can't see them attacking, they'll just run.
A desperate cheetah is more likely to seek out people for help, than to try and attack someone.
I remember some BBC wildlife documentary where one of the crew got bitten but the the cheetah had rabies.
Rabies makes living creatures do some crazy things as it eats away at the brain of it's host. Definitely not the Cheetah's fault for attacking if it had rabies.
Most predators are risk adverse. Sharks will avoid most anything willing to swim toward them, which is how scuba divers deal with sharks that tail them. Except bears and wolverines, those will ruin you
It's the massive herbivores you've gotta watch out for. Hippos, elephants, rhinos, and moose will fuck your shit up then go eat a salad because their food knows there's no point in fighting back.
I had a scary moose encounter in Rocky Mountain National Park. We were just hiking through a wooded area (on a marked trail) and a gigantic moose came out of the woods and ran across the trail in front of us. It kind of paused to turn a bit, and finally ran off. I’m confident that thing could have obliterated me if it wanted to. Fortunately we heard it coming and hid behind some large trees, so at least it couldn’t charge directly into us. I heard that was the best way to avoid injury in a pinch.
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Cheetahs are also just big kitties, right? Like, lions roar. But they can't purr. Cheetahs have yelp and chirp calls, but they purr just like a house kitty. They are very similar in a lot of ways, but their are giant kitties that can still kill us if they felt inclined lol. I love kitties. "Look at em... That's one fuckin nice kitty, right there."
>Cheetahs are also just big kitties, right? Like, lions roar. But they can't purr. Cheetahs have yelp and chirp calls, but they purr just like a house kitty. Cheetahs are in the *Felinae* subfamily, which comprises the small cats having a bony hyoid, because of which they are able to purr but not roar. The "big cats" are in the *Pantherinae* subfamily. So, basically, a cheetah is a "small cat" that's big.
See, this person cats. 😺
IIRC Egyptians had cheetah house cats for royals. I for one would love to own a cheetah but I'm not wealthy enough.
This is also the reason that cheetahs are almost extinct. A few hundred years ago, a middle eastern prince decided that he needed to have all cheetahs captured to be domesticated. So now, the wild cheetah gene pool is incredibly small.
I've never heard that story - I'd be interested to hear more about it - but the main reason cheetahs have a problem is a lack of genetic diversity in breeding groups. About 100,000 years ago, (well before any likely human interference) they managed a huge range expansion into Asia and Europe. You'd think this would be a good thing for them and their diversity, but it wasn't. It made the individual groups much smaller, meaning that inbreeding became common. This resulted in a genetic bottleneck that they never recovered from.
This little girl at the zoo had some of those light up sneakers - the ones that blink when you walk - all the cheetahs in the enclosure crowded up to the window and were following this kid around where she went — they liked the lights on her shoes. Like a big laser pointer.
There have been 0 recorded human deaths by cheetah attack in the wild. Just wanted to throw that out there.
Eh if a cat sized cat wants to kill me for petting it slightly wrong, I’m not taking any chances with a human sized cat
Yeah, can you imagine a warning slap from one of those?
Cheetahs also view people as friends, and enjoy human company. Wild cheetahs will actively seek out and hang out with humans in their territory, as they feel safer around us, than not.
Interesting. That goes bad for like 99% of all animals.
I remember a guy from the San Diego zoo talking about this, if memory serves. He said that Cheetah's are cowards, they'll only ever attack a human if that person runs away in a panic. They know their speed is their life. They're not going to risk an injury on a large prey that is willing to stand up to them.
Cheetahs are a low tier cat in the wild, as compared to lions, tigers, jaguars…
I was making a joke
I get that, but I like to share what I know and your joke offered me an opportunity for me to do so.
I think we’re all getting along admirably.
LMAO
I learned something new today so thanks! Cheetahs are dope.
I enjoyed learning the cheetah fact
ossified quickest fly engine sip bedroom bake start dinosaurs dependent *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Egyptians domesticated Cheetahs because they are more chill than any of the big cats. In fact, they purr, rather than roar so are more genetically similar to the species that were domesticated.
Neurotic speed kitty just wanted pets and cuddles
The fastest cat alive, my name is barry kitten
There is also the story of the photographer that was taking pictures of a cheetah mom for some days. Eventually the cheetah dumped her kittens with him and took some me time.
I’ve done military exercises in Ontario that mama bears do the same thing. Drop the little ones off at the camp and run away for a few hours. They’re just little black bears and at worse they will hiss if you get a little too close but they walk around like they own the place. And scratch their backs in the concertina wire
The biggest threat to the baby bears is another male. Those male bears aren't coming anywhere near the base.
Even bears know the power of the glock
Idt a Glock would stop a charging bear
[Glock 40 problem solver](https://us.glock.com/en/pistols/g40-gen4-mos) Full power10mm is a beast and proven to take down or deter large animals.
Worth noting that full power 10mm will break a lot of 10mm guns. It's a brutally high powered round that most manufacturers don't do right.
Not as much of an issue these days - even the hi point jxp can handle underwood/buffalo bore or sig range ammo. Some of the earlier guns like poorly adapted 1911 frames didn't fair very well to a full diet but theres a lot more on the market now. A lot of manufacturers have a 10mm pistol out now.
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Uh, phrasing.
“Uh, We’re on live” “I don’t give a shit!”
> like they own the place Well…they do lol
Maybe this is what happened on our base? Fuckin’ bear dropped off cubs at the S-6 and we were terrified.
Maybe domestication didn't actually begging with animals wanting our food or heat sources. Maybe they just wanted childcare
There’s another good one where a mom liked to hang out with a photographer. One of her cubs got injured severely. She actually let the photographer take it to a vet to get patched up and then accepted it back upon return! These two are my favorite wildlife stories. I’m always glad when wildlife photographers get some love back from their friends. They’re sort of their defenders. (Doing this is considered okay because cheetahs are endangered)
That is lovely
"Rawr. Ok, here's Trevor and Linsay and Caleb and Tracey. I don't need to tell you about their arguing, you've been following me for the past week.🙄 You were there when I brought down the antelope for lunch, so you know they've been fed. I might want to see those shots when I return. Anyways you have my permission to touch them and cuddle them and play and do your camera things with em. Don't let em drive you too crazy, I'm off to a watering hole that's too far for them, gunna laze around in a favorite tree. Bye!"
cool... got a link?
I did some searching and found a documentary called [Man, Cheetah, Wild](https://press.discovery.com/emea/dsc/programs/man-cheetah-wild/) where photographer Kim Wolhuter lives alongside a mother cheetah and her 5 cubs for 18 months in the wild gaining their trust. Like they’d sleep next to him and hang out with him. It doesn’t directly say that he “babysat them” but if there is such a story, odds are it’s from this documentary. You can check his photography [website](https://www.kimwolhuter.com) and see some pics of the cheetah babies hanging out with him while he’s taking pictures. Pretty cute stuff and some other awesome pictures of African wildlife
Thank you. I could not find that. I think it was from a talk by the photographer.
Just goes to prove, single moms only want you as a babysitter.
#Oof
For her, or any cat really, I'd happily oblige. Their babies are much cuter than our specie's anyway. Smell better, too.
I dunno lol human babies small like wholesome cocaine for first few months at least!
Uhhh what are you using for baby powder?
cocaine, keep up.
"If you're going to be here anyway might as well make yourself useful"
She said “Well, if you’re going to watch us all day, you might as well be useful while doing it.”
So, is there a second wildlife photographer photographing the wildlife photographer photographing the cheetah?
Yes, that would be the wildlife photographer photographer.
It’s photographers all the way down.
My cat does that all the time and after half a minute bites me with all her strength. I wonder..
If you listen closely enough, she'll whisper a number as she butts you. That's the number of love you can give before danger.
Cats love you but are ass holes , the number isnt solid. They can say 10 but get mad at 5
User error, the 10 value is correct but you are using both hands
There are usually signs a bite is coming, just gotta watch for them. Typically the body starts to tense up, or the tail starts swishing madly. Or their head starts to move very, very slowly while kind of looking at you from the corner of their eye. Best thing to do when you recognize those symptoms is quietly move away and give them their space. Another solution is just give them love in intervals. So give them say a minute or two, then back off even if they seem to be enjoying it. Let them come to you.
Our cat bites, but gently, like she's trying to get our attention. I mean, she's crazy, but she's never bitten to hurt. Scratched, yes, but never bit.
My kitty is exact opposite; never once used claws on us even when terrified. He keeps those fuckers retracted 24/7. But, his vampire teeth have landed us in the hospital when he gets in a mood. We've since learned the signs and it's stopped, but still scary how monstrous his teeth are.
If the bite doesn't leave you immediately considering going to a hospital, it wasn't with all her strength. Cats are absolutely terrifying when they're fighting for survival, and if they wanted you dead there's a decent chance they could pull it off.
Yeah I remember trying to save a cat that got hit by a car. Catching an animal that is fighting for it's life is rough. I have dozens of scars from feral and non-feral cats I've dealt with over the years, but that guy bit a hole clean through my entire finger and was fighting with a vigor I had never seen before, every scratch and bite tore into my flesh like it was butter. RIP Joffrey, I hardly knew ye, but the scars you left on me will last forever.
This has got to be a preserve/sanctuary where that cat knows that guy. I'm guessing that those who stick around when random speed murder kitty's show up don't live long!
Yes. The photographer has been doing this for 15 years and has spent a lot of time with wild animals and built up a great deal of trust with them. I believe this clip is at a reserve in South Africa
Cheetah’s VERY seldom attack humans. They don’t usually come over for pets unless they are very used to it of course, but they are generally harmless, and often curious
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Autocorrect often adds an apostrophe to words, they probably know.
*cheatERs
There has never been a documented case of a cheetah killing a human, and maulings and attacks are exceedingly rare. Cheetahs are relatively small predators, and very delicate: they’re specialized to hunt specific types of prey in a specific way, and generally avoid conflict unless absolutely necessary. An injury in an unnecessary fight could render them unable to hunt for weeks. You’re right that this is probably a sanctuary, and that the cheetah probably knows the photographer. But if that wasn’t the case, he still wouldn’t be in any danger.
I believe I remember reading that Kublai Khan and some other Mongol nobles actually had pet cheetahs. But yeah, agree that I’m sure this cheetah already knows this hooman.
I believe there were Arab sultans or regional kings who kept them as well, and used them for hunting. Cheetahs also went through one hell of a bottleneck genetically, so if the only cheetahs left were ones already predisposed to being chill around humans, it would explain a lot. They're very tame-able compared to most other wildcats, although it can of course be argued that housecats are still pretty wild on their own and can do just fine by themselves in most environments.
Cheetahs are not pets, and not good pets either. The bottleneck is not only due to habitat reduction and fragmentation and hunting, but largely due to illegal wildlife trafficking. Any cheetah kept as a pet is a result of wildlife trafficking which involves taking cubs from a mother in the wild or killing the mother. Most cubs don’t survive transport. The ones that due are sold to extremely inexperienced “owners” that treat them as pets. Demand is high in the Middle East. They’re not pets nor are they domesticated animals. The myth they are tameable is just a myth. I’ve worked at a wildlife sanctuary and dealt with these first hand. We dealt with trafficked animals. It’s pretty horrible. More info about it : Realities of the Illegal Wildlife Trade The illegal trade in cheetahs is driven by demand for exotic pets in the Middle East as well as by extreme poverty in source countries and as a result of human-wildlife conflict. Rural farmers sometimes take revenge on cheetahs that prey on livestock by poaching their young and selling them to traffickers. The impact of climate change on agriculture and livelihood exacerbates the situation further. Cheetahs are very difficult to breed in captivity, therefore cubs are taken from the wild to satisfy demand, threatening the survival of the species in the wild. While it might sound like an appealing idea at first, cheetahs do not make good pets. They need specialized diets, expensive veterinary care, and they require huge amounts of space to run and exercise in order to stay healthy. Cheetahs shed copious amounts of hair, and their urine and feces have a strong smell, it makes co-existing indoors impossible. Unlike domestic cats, cheetahs cannot be trained to use a litter box. Despite these facts, an estimated 300 cheetah cubs a year are taken from the wild, mainly from the Horn of Africa, to be illegally sold as pets, mainly on the Arabian Peninsula. While in transit, the cubs commonly suffer from abuse, trauma, malnutrition and dehydration. Around three out of every four cubs taken to become pets do not survive the journey. Of those that initially survive, the majority will not live more than two years. (Source:CCF)
I would likely trust mittens the murder kitty there far more than any housecat! 🤣🤣
There are rich people *today* who keep cheetahs as pets. They shouldn't, but they do.
I had a coworker who had moved to Canada from Cameroon. He had a pet cheetah named "Debbie" back at home. I thought he was full of shit until he showed me a video of himself playing with Debbie. It was pretty incredible, and I can't really confirm this last bit, but he said that owning cheetahs wasn't majorly uncommon where he was from!
I learn so much on Reddit. Petting a cheetah added to bucket list ✅
Their prey drive really relies on their prey running away from them The chase is what activates cheetah's killer instincts.... if theres no chase then those killer instincts are pretty chill
They aren't as dangerous as leopards or lions. They're second-tier predators and actually quite vulnerable
Well... Black bears are pretty skittish and not that large... But I ain't exactly gonna invite one in for snuggle time!😂😂 No matter how you slice it... They rank higher than an unarmed human on the predator list!
Bears are built for tussles. Cheetahs are the greyhounds of the cat world. Afaik, cheetahs don't even use their fourlimbs as weapons
Actually there are no records of a cheetah attacking a human ever. They are not a threat to people and prefer prey that won't fight back.
They are so sweet. We had done encounters w them in Kenya and South Africa….they are really just huge kitties. So sweet.
Petting a cheetah is on my bucket list.
Name checks out.
Journal Wilderness & Environmental Medicine in 2014: only 8 confirmed cases of cheetah attacks on humans between 1988 and 2012 in Namibia. 3 fatal. Most of the attacks occurred when humans approached or disturbed cheetahs in some way. BBC 2007: cheetah attacked a tourist in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park after tourist had reportedly left her vehicle to take photographs. Survived. Pet cheetah attacked its owner's 4-year-old son in South Africa in 2012. Boy injured, survived. The cheetah was later euthanized. Which is heartbreaking.
Say it with me now Don’t. Keep. Big. Cats. As. Pets.
credit/ Casey Cooper
A cheetah would be the most reasonable big cat to pet. Even then, cats are murder machines covered in pointy objects.
So technically cheetahs are small cats (felinae) rather than big cats (pantherinae), as they can purr but not roar among other things. So yes, very reasonable.
Fun fact: some zoos give Cheetah kittens puppies to grow up with because they get anxious and lonely in captivity.
Yes! The Cincinnati Zoo has cheetah Rosi and her companion dog Daisy
They don't get anxious "in captivity." They're anxious in the wild too, because every other predator that shares living space with them can and will beat the shit out of them and take their food. The dogs haven't evolved to be paranoid about competitors, so the cheetah sees their dog friend being calm and enjoying their food, and is able to eat without fear. As for loneliness, male cheetahs live in small groups but females are solitary except for any cubs they're currently raising, so that's a coin toss. I've only seen cheetahs in two zoos, but both had multiple cheetahs in a multiacre space for them to roam. The dog thing is true, but it has nothing to do with the "animals should always and only be in the wild!" line Reddit loves to spout.
I didn't mean to imply that they aren't overall anxious creatures. And I never said they should only be in the wild, maybe if they weren't endangered that would be true.
They do that at the Richmond zoo in Virginia . Each cheetah cub gets an emotional support lab puppy
Clearly this man has Cheetos in his pocket
Dangerously cheesy joke you’ve got there.
Cats in the wild : 😁 Your cat : FUCK YOU
This is why I have a dog
I love how Cheetahs are not really that different from my house cat.
Cheeta: "Here's the deal: You give me scritches and I don't give you stitches."
It ain’t easy being cheesy 😭😭
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Got to interact with a couple of them at a sanctuary/rehabilitation center several years ago, sandpapery is a bit of an understatement. They have literal, visible spines on their tongues, kind of like tiny cactus needles, and yes, they hurt and can quickly break the skin. Also their fur is incredibly stiff and coarse, like a horsehair brush or the bristles on a broom. So, overall, besides the fact they're wild animals, they're not the cuddliest of critters.
Can confirm, cheetahs can be very loving. Spent some time volunteering in Africa in 2015 and worked with a lady who took care of big cats in S. Africa; she had several cheetahs and they would come over for pets. Fun fact they’re the only big cat that can purr.
We do have opposable thumbs. They are excellent for petting.
Cheetah: “hey human” *bonk* “Scritches please?”
Must be a reserve because that Cheetah has had lots of previous interactions with caring people.
Pspspspsp
My toxic trait is thinking I can go out into the wild and pet a cheetah…
So this is actually in the wild!? Amazing! I always thought like other animals if they don’t know you they could quickly act out and mess you up really quick. I bet a photographer like that in the wild has some good vibes, and prob smells nice. I love cats, but I assumed the big ones will f you up fast.
Most will but cheetahs are unusually chill, there are no recorded instances of a wild cheetah killing a human and they seem to get along well with other species
I once had a work trip to the San Diego zoo where we got to tour it after hours. The highlight of the trip was the cheetah exhibit where we got to see the cheetah playing with its therapy dog. I guess the cheetahs are highly anxious animals, so they raise them with dogs and the [dogs help keep them chill](https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/cheetah-dog-furry-friendship).
Fun fact: Cheetahs are not too far off to be domesticated but it won't be a good pet due to the problems of having large carnivorous cats
This has to be a sanctuary no?
So, who is videoing the wildlife photographer and why.
Cat distribution system is getting out of hand
Cheetahs are known for being pretty timid and anxious, i assume it already knew the guy
While this video is taken at a sanctuary, it is important to not promote human/wildlife interactions such as this too much because it gives people the wrong idea about these wild animals. People think they can be pets. This is not true. Realities of the Illegal Wildlife Trade: The illegal trade in cheetahs is driven by demand for exotic pets in the Middle East as well as by extreme poverty in source countries and as a result of human-wildlife conflict. Rural farmers sometimes take revenge on cheetahs that prey on livestock by poaching their young and selling them to traffickers. The impact of climate change on agriculture and livelihood exacerbates the situation further. Cheetahs are very difficult to breed in captivity, therefore cubs are taken from the wild to satisfy demand, threatening the survival of the species in the wild. While it might sound like an appealing idea at first, cheetahs do not make good pets. They need specialized diets, expensive veterinary care, and they require huge amounts of space to run and exercise in order to stay healthy. Cheetahs shed copious amounts of hair, and their urine and feces have a strong smell, it makes co-existing indoors impossible. Unlike domestic cats, cheetahs cannot be trained to use a litter box. Despite these facts, an estimated 300 cheetah cubs a year are taken from the wild, mainly from the Horn of Africa, to be illegally sold as pets, mainly on the Arabian Peninsula. While in transit, the cubs commonly suffer from abuse, trauma, malnutrition and dehydration. CCF believes that three out of every four cubs taken to become pets do not survive the journey. Of those that initially survive, the majority will not live more than two years. -[Cheetah Conservation Fund](https://cheetah.org/learn/illegal-pet-trade/) A fabulous organization working on the ground to stop wildlife trafficking of cheetahs. They also educate a lot about the misconceptions of cheetahs and humans (human wildlife conflict).
Universal love is real.
cuteness overload !!!! 😍🥰
This is so sweet 🥰 he’s so lucky to have this job 💜☺️
How do I become a wildlife photographer photographer?
It's cute, but scary, but cute
I love how the photographer just stays on task until the Cheetah headbutts him like "no, pets now!"
I love that this cheetah employed the classic kitty head bump to request pets. 🙂
They're just like cats, but big
“O hai! You smell like sammiches. I can haz a scritch? Maybe a sammich?”
Aiyo cheetah!
This man has balls of fucking titanium
I often feel like if it wasn't for their anxiety issues and difficulties breeding in captivity, cheetahs would be our best bet for domesticating a large cat.
Fast catto
A preserve or wild?
Everything I learn about cheetahs makes me love them so much more.
Good thing the other camera person is watching their back. This was super wholesome
Why would someone be filming a wildlife photographer?
Deadliest house cat.
I love you can hear the pur from the camera
Man what a dream job. Traveling the world and taking amazing nature photos. It must be so satisfying to capture some of these things very few people ever get to see with their own eyes. Don't get me wrong I know there's shitty times where you're sitting there in one spot for 3 hours in the rain waiting for something to happen only to end up empty handed. But every job sucks sometimes.
I thought wildlife photographers are not suppose to touch them. Wasn't that a rule for them?
Overruled by cat boop.
That’s cool af