Since we didn’t see any big cats while on our Botswana safari ( our guide told us that they live in another part of the park), the group decided to check out a local place in Zambia called Mukuni Big Five. The brochure claimed it to be a free range sanctuary for young cheetahs and lions.
Set on top of a hill over looking Livingstone town, I wondered what the day would entail.
After a brief introduction over morning tea we are told about the animals placed here. Injured or abandoned in the wild from poachers, Mukuni Big Five raises them in a safe environment, with the goal of rehabilitating them back into the wild.
Our first experience is to witness the speed of the cheetah, the world’s fastest land mammal. We are taken out to what appears to be a wooden hitching post for horses, only squared. As we enter, one of the guys brings out a young cheetah.
A toy that appears to look like a small animal is put onto a string. We are asked if we are ready, then seconds later, the toy is released, and the young cheetah races past us chasing it.
The first time all I see is dust, the animal is so fast. Luckily, the animals love racing, so we get to see them run around us multiple times.
It was an amazing start, but what comes next blew my mind. For now though, witness the speed and grace of the cheetahs at Mukuni.
