Who says cats and dogs don't get along? The cheetah and Labrador who have become firm friends at Busch Zoo

Just the two of us: Kali the cheetah and puppy, Mtani have become close friends


While most cats and dogs couldn't stand being in the same room together for five minutes, roommates Kasi and Mtani are inseparable.

Thanks to their introduction a young age, four-and-a-half-month-old cheetah Kasi has found a friend for life in the form of a nine-month-old Labrador called, Mtani.

The pair were put together soon after Kasi was rejected by his mother at birth.

The animals' carers at Busch Zoo in Tampa, Florida, hand-picked Mtani from a local rescue centre to ensure the then four-week-old Kasi had a companion to grow up with.

'Male cheetahs are social and often live together in coalitions.


Kali attempt to get Mtani's attention, and below, succumbs to his mate's advances to play together


'This social bond will be a very similar relationship, and they will be together for life,' said Tim Smith, one of Busch Gardens' animal curators.

After being rejected by his mother at birth, Kasi needed round-the-clock care to ensure his survival.

Soon after his arrival at Busch he was introduced to sixteen week old Mtani, and their friendship has blossomed ever since.



Despite coming from warring tribes, the pair are never happier than when frolicking together in the enclosure they share at the zoo.


Twice a day the unlikely due are brought out for visitors to see completely oblivious to the interest in their living arrangements.

'Kali and Mtali live together in our new cheetah run habitat. They love to play together; Mtali will chase sticks and Kali will try to steal it away from her.

'They love chasing each other around and play fighting. They are very curious, especially of the people looking at them through the glass,' said Jill Revelle, a Busch Gardens spokesperson.

Cheetahs are considered to be an endangered species and around 12,400 exist in the wild.


source: dailymail

No cheeting please: The extraordinary moment a fight erupts between two cheetahs where one is spotted leaping FOUR FEET into the air

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Jump around: The bruising encounter was a harsh lesson for the younger cheetah, challenged by the older male


The fur is literally flying in this extraordinary set of photos when a fight erupts among a group of cheetahs.

One of the cats leaps four feet in the air during the remarkable confrontation between two males.

The bruising encounter was a harsh lesson for the younger cheetah, who had been challenged by the older male.

The youngster was given a rough ride as its mother stood back with his sister - a sign that she wanted her son to take care of himself.

British photographer Elliott Neep captured the moments the family of three were approached by the cheetah, in Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, in Tanzania.


High jump: One of the cats leaps 4ft in the air during the dramatic confrontation between two males


Elliott, 36, from Wantage, in Oxfordshire, said: 'We spotted three cheetahs resting in the shade.

'They were not settled and seemed very agitated. Their body language told me that something was wrong.

'Then, in the shade of a nearby tree just a few feet away, we could see a fourth cheetah.

'We tried to figure out what was happening but it was not clear. A young cheetah rose from the ground and immediately, the cheetah under the tree pounced and lashed out at him.

'The youngster flipped onto its back in a state of submission and the big male leapt over.

'As soon as the big male moved, I started firing the shutter. I just had a sudden instinct that a fight was imminent.


Take that: The encounter unfolds, including the high-jumping cheetah leaping in the air


'The situation quickly unravelled and the scene became clear. This was an adult male attempting to push out a female's full-grown cubs to mate.

'After the dust settled, the big male came face to face with the youngster and began sounding a long drawn-out meow.

'It was similar to the sound two domestic cats make when they have a territorial dispute in the garden.



Fur flying: The youngster was given a rough ride as its mother stood back with his sister - a sign that she wanted her son to take care of himself


'The young male began to chirp to its mother for support. But she did not intervene - for me, a clear sign that she had finished raising them and it was time for them to leave.' He added: 'We left with the four cheetahs still grouped together, but exhausted and tired under the midday sun.

'The sequence looked great on the camera and had a massive grin on my face.

'When I reviewed it later on the big screen, the grin was even wider as I could now see the fur literally flying when the cheetah was in mid-air.'


source :dailymail

Squeak, squeak! The cheetah cub reared by hand that sounds like a little bird

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Cuddly: The cheetah being reared at Busch Gardens animal theme park in Florida


It looks like a cute baby cheetah, but it sounds like a bird.

The cuddly five-week old cub has yet to find his growl and squeaks when it wants food which it gulps down at Florida's Busch Gardens theme park in Tampa.

It will grow up to be the fastest cat in the world, but for now it needs round-the-clock care.

Experts are hand rearing the animal because its mother wasn't able to care for him at Jacksonville Zoo.

Soon after birth, the still-unnamed cheetah lost weight as its mother couldn't produce milk, so zoo officials sent him to Tampa for some tender loving care.


Curious and hungry: The cheetah cub is being cared for round-the clock care by animal experts


Now, at just over two pounds - the weight of two bags of sugar - the cub is becoming stronger everyday.

The animal has already melted hearts at the theme park and once the baby is strong and old enough, he will join a group of cheetahs in a new habitat that will soon open at the park which brings guests face to face with the cats.

The cub is also likely to be part of a cheetah breeding program which is aimed at boosting the population of these critically-endangered animals.

There are estimated 12,400 cheetahs living in the wild. Cheetah Run is an area of the park specifically set up for the cheetah with a 250ft run for the fast cats to run free on.


Raw Video: Baby Cheetah Squeaks, Scrambles



source: dailymail

Just like mum! Cheetah cubs pictured climbing trees at Masai Mara safari camp

By CHRIS LEADBEATER and SARAH GORDON

Keeping up with mum: The baby cheetahs try to follow their mother up the acacia tree


And she has every reason to be watchful. While the cheetah is the fastest mammal on the planet, the initial months of the average cub's existence are fraught with danger. The animal relies on its speed for survival as well as sustenance - and the first few weeks of life, when cubs lack the power that will make them lethal predators once they reach adulthood, are extremely difficult.

Around 90 per cent of cheetahs are killed during this time, their size and diminutive stature leaving them vulnerable to attack from larger African predators, including lions, hyenas and leopards.

Still covered in their baby fluff and balancing on legs that seem too long for their bodies, these young cubs look to be a long way from joining the ranks of adult cheetahs.

But that doesn't stop them wanting to be just like mum.

Spotted outside the Kicheche Camp in Kenya's Masai Mara, the six balls of fledgling fur attempt to follow their mother up an acacia tree as she looks out over the plains.



Long way up: The more timid cubs attempt to join their siblings at the top of the tree


The species is deemed to be endangered. Estimates suggest some 12,500 cheetahs are alive in the wild, spread across 25 African countries. Namibia has the densest population - the southern African state is believed to be home to around 2500 of the cats.

Still, this sibling sextet does not seem to be doing too badly, as these exclusive photos show - even if the feline art of climbing a tree seems to come easier to some than it does to others.


The view's great from up here: Once balanced in among the branches, the young cheetahs look quite at home


While one youngster makes it halfway up the trunk, finds a crook in a branch - and refuses to give up his hard-won spot - another cuts his losses and springs back to the ground.

Meanwhile, what appears to be the smallest club waits contentedly below the tree, showing no concern about trying to keep up with his adventurous siblings, preferring the view from ground level.


Leap of faith: Lower down the tree, the other cubs are struggling to cling on


Another, meanwhile, makes it all the way to the top of the tree, finding the position furthest removed from potential threat - but also risks the wrath of mum by placing himself right under her feet as she continues her lonely sentry role.

Although the cubs look ungainly here, cheetahs are among the most agile creatures on earth, able to reach speeds of up to 75 miles per hour - faster than the UK speed limit, and any other land animal.

In peak condition, they can accelerate from a standing start to 60 miles per hour in three seconds.


That's enough of that: One of the cubs bails out


They are also among the most elusive of the wild big cats - and can be particularly tricky to spot when they are protecting their young. Moreover, they are rarely seen climbing trees.

But lucky guests at the luxury tented Kicheche Camp, on the borders of the Masai Mara Reserve, were treated to this rare display earlier this month, as the cubs took advantage of their mum's rare foray into the branches to have a go at scampering up and down the acacia themselves.


Trunk call: One of the cheetah cubs finds a lofty viewpoint, and digs in


"Cheetahs seldom climb trees, leaving clambering to leopards with their sharper claws," explains Kicheche's Paul Goldstein, who took the images.

"But for youngsters of three months, acacia trees are leisure centres, and these six lost little time in frolicking up and down its trunk.



We preferred it up there, mum: The cubs return to solid ground - but seem to prefer the safety of the branches


"But the mother has a worrying time ahead of her. Bringing up a brood of cheetah cubs is one of the toughest tasks on the plains. And seldom successful."

For more information on Kicheche Mara Camp, see www.kicheche.com.

Safari Consultants (01787 888 590, www.safari-consultants.co.uk) offers seven nights at Kicheche Mara Camp from £2,560 per adult and £1,490 per child (based on two adults and one or two children aged 12 or under sharing a tent - including flights, transfers, all meals, game viewing and park fees.


source : dailymail