A new addition to the enclosure for the cubs was sourced by Kevin Richardson Foundation director and cheetah carer, Caroline – a dead tree for them to play on! Imagine going into your backyard as a kid and finding a jungle gym that had suddenly sprouted. That excitement and thrill certainly spans across species as these cubs fell in love with their new toy.
Running around and climbing all over it, the cubs played endlessly with their new discovery. We are sure it will continue to be a source of joy for them as they grow up. They may just need a bigger one soon, as they are growing up so quickly!
Some background into the uniquely South African difficulties that can arise. Food is prepped by Caroline, for the 7pm feed at 6.30pm. This is not a nice feed, particularly in winter, as it is dark and cold. To add to those delights we experienced load shedding. This resulted in no lights and no hot water as it works on a pressure pump. To work around this, water had to be boiled on the gas stove, taken from the volunteer kitchen to the cub kitchen, which is about 80 metres, and used to prepare the food with the aid of LED emergency lights. In Caroline’s words: “All worthwhile when you see their eyes light up and hear the squeaks for the last feed of the day!”
Steadily gaining weight, the cubs are flourishing and in good health. They are still rigorously being fed five times a day and, just like all babies, much of the day-to-day care is defined by poop. Every day their poop needs to be scouted to determine the state of their well being. So far, so good. There have been no recent major changes or disturbances that are cause for worry.
(July 2021)
