Patting cheetahs!

Yesterday turned into a very good day! After a very uninspiring game drive around Nairobi Central Game Park we were feeling a bit flat and somewhat bored with what Nairobi was offering us. At the same site there is also an animal orphanage where you can see animals that have been rescued in cages. Having seen all these animals on our game drives we were feeling fairly reluctant to part with more cash to go in there and see them sitting in cages, but we had heard from Summer who had worked there 3 years ago that they sometimes allow people to pat the cheetahs.

So armed with this knowledge I tried my luck at the entrance office by asking if it was possible to pat the cheetahs. The guy looked at me and said, "No. We don't do that here." I said, "Are you sure?" and he replied a definite NO and looked at me with that look of someone who is breaking every wildlife law that has ever been made. I went for a third try of "I really love big cats, are you sure I can't pat them" and he said no and left the office. Hmm, cheetahs were not looking good.

So, not to be perturbed about half an hour later Scott, Ryan and I went back to the office for another try. This time round I did a lot of talking and pleading and said we weren't going to pay the entrance fee unless we could pat them. And would you believe it, but success!!!

So ten minutes later we were in the cheetah cage patting our hearts out! They are beautiful animals with really short hair and the most amazing long tails. . Having thought that was the most amazing thing to happen all trip, I was feeling quite excited and it must have been showing as the guide then turned around and asked if we would like to see the baby cheetah that are kept in the nursery off limits to regular visitors....well YES of course I did!!!

So next thing we are led behind the scenes into the nursery and each handed a 2 month old baby cheetah to hold! They were about the size of a very small house cat and covered in tufts of spotted hair. SO CUTE!! After 5 minutes with them (and a 200 shilling bribe to the nursery manager) the guide, who was clearly enjoying our excitement, then asked if we wanted to go into the Forest cat enclosure and pat them too!!

So off to the forest cats we went and had a play with them as well. They are fairly similar to a regular domestic cat but a bit more muscly and broad. They even liked the same patting technique as Squirt, Fatty and Ginge.

On the way through we even had the chance to poke a lioness through her cage so we could feel her fur...but there was no way I was getting into her cage after our lion experience in South Luanga game park and hearing the male lion roar!!!

So for 10 us dollars and some tips we got to pat 4 different kinds of wild cats! Score!!! Definitley worth it!