Mad Props!

Here's what happened on Saturday when Sal and I met a couple of Cheetahs at the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra.

At the designated time we were led into the enclosure by a zookeeper/ranger. She explained to us the various guidelines to avoid being ... well, eaten. Some things were obvious - keep away from the mouth and claws etc. But others were more interesting. Like, if the cheetah decides to roll over while you're patting it, step back quickly or its claws will catch on your clothes and tear them. Or, stay behind the cheetah at all times so that if something spooks it, you're not the first thing it sees. You don't want to be treated as a threat by a 55kg ball of muscle with claws and fangs.

The cheetahs themselves were amazing. Reasonably docile, although the other keeper, a big guy who has obviously worked with these cats for years, was quite happy to get in there and tussle with 'em to stir 'em up. They really are like big housecats.

So we got a bunch of photos taken (some of which you can see here), and for fifteen minutes we chatted with the keepers whilst patting the cats. Sound boring? It was an awesome experience and one I'll always remember.