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October 26, 2004
Encounter with a big cat....
Driving to Bloemfontein, my son expressed a desire to see some of the big game close up, and shortly afterward we found a sign saying "Cheetah Breeding Project". Well, let me say, it was worth stopping for!
My son getting the "I like this" treatment from a full-grown Cheetah. The purr could be mistaken for a two stroke motor!
Cheetahs are amazing beasts, the fastest land mammal, able to accelerate over short distances to up to 70 mph. They cross the line between cat and dog, having features of both in their physical characteristics including claws they cannot retract - but tongues like sandpaper - really coarse sand paper! The tail is long and very muscular, an essential tool, as this is what allows this amazing creature to steer and balance while turning at high speed.
The smallest of the "big" cats, they are never fully domesticated and small children would be at risk around these guys - a fact born out a few minutes after this picture was taken when a family group walked past the enclosure - both cheetahs were immediately alert and started to stalk the small children on the other side of the wire! Fortunately they also did a remarkable "who us?" impersonation as soon as the farmer called "Los!" - Afrikaans for "Leave!" - to them.
As it turned out, we did not get much opportunity to see many more of the amazing range of animals on our travels. This is at least in part due to the fact that many are nocturnal and we were travelling in the heat of the day. Nic did get to see the elusive Hyrax - or "Dassie" - a small and rather unprepossessing creature who lives around cliffs and mountains (rather like the Australian Wombat in appearance, but rather smaller) and whose genetic first cousin is the elephant! We would have seen more had we done the Game Farm routes, but time and distance didn't allow. As it is we covered almost 3,500 miles!
The scenery is spectacular, the wide open spaces are wide open, and the night sky outside of the towns - well, it has to be seen to be believed.
---More to come as time permits!
Posted by The Gray Monk at October 26, 2004 09:38 AM
Comments
They say all cats are grey [gray?] in the dark...wouldn't want to meet that one in the hallway, though ! Great pic...MB wants more.
Posted by: MommaBear at October 26, 2004 01:17 PM