As I have mentioned before, my boyfriend and I have volunteered a couple of times. One of the trips was to "Cheetah Experience" in Bloemfontein, South-Africa.
Cheetah Experience is a park for cheetahs, leopards, lions, caracals, servals, wolves and lions started by one amazing woman - Riana. She runs the park with help from Rene and Lizaene and many others. It is a non-profitable organization that really tries to help the animals. Both the Cheetah and the Leopard is endangered in the wild, so the breeding programs in this park help with keeping their numbers up. Riana's deepest wish is to be able to set the animals out into the wild sometime in the future, so some of the animals are not tame. Well, when you talk about big cats there is no such thing as a tame cat. Many of them are handraised, yes, but where the big cats are concerned you can never be completely at ease. Their shear strength is enough to topple you and they remain wild at hearts. Which is also the way it is supposed to be. They are amazing, funny, adorable, frightening, cute and lovable creatures you will never see the like of. Once you hear a cheetah purr in your lap or a tigercub puff to you as it twirls around your legs - your life is changed forever. There is no going back - the love for these fabulous creatures will leave an imprint in your heart.
I cannot wait to go back there and meet all the then tiny, now huge, cats again. And the people, of course! You feel so welcomed by the staff - it will be like returning to a second home the next time I get to visit.
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