All My Cheetahs

Ah, so many cheetahs and the day is so short. But I always make it out to Atheno's enclosure. He's WAY out there and I walk through the desert summer sun because I absolutely adore him. I open the gate and lock it behind me. He hears me because I only have to call his name a few times and his head appears above the grass as he runs toward me. You probably think I'm crazy, but I believe he remembers me from year to year. We find a spot under a tree (usually with thorns, so getting down on the ground is a feat) and he lets me pet him while he purrs. Turn up your volume on the video above so that you can hear it clearly. Nothing like it. I listen to videos like these when I have to go home. They help me make it to the next time I can come to Harnas.

I've also been visiting Koema, Sesa, and Sesadi every day. When I was here a year and a half ago, they were all small kittens--the last two only a few days old with their eyes not even open yet. I spent a lot of time with Koema, as he was bigger, playful, and in need to lots of love and attention. Now they're all living together in one enclosure, three happy boys. They surround me and purr and I can hardly find enough hands to pet them all. Today when I went in to see them, Sesadi and Koema were on the roof of a little shed and wouldn't come down from their spot where they could watch the world, so I had to be content with Sesa--he's the one that was neglected by his mother out in the wild cheetah enclosure and had his tail chewed off by a mongoose. He can never be released because cheetahs need their tails to maneuver when they hunt.

There's just something about cheetahs. I'd have a house full of them if I could--but of course that wouldn't be fair for the cheetahs, so I'll have to be happy with coming here and loving them as much as I can.