Today's theme: crazy cat people. To clarify, we are the crazy cat people.
Table Mountain still has zero visibility so we're Ubering it over to the Cheetah Encounter to pet some big kitties.
The adult cheetahs are majestic, sleek with breathtaking coats of perfectly round spots. The handlers readily pass on an abundant fountain of facts, and they exude an expert calm. The way they scratch these big cats behind the ears, you could almost forget you're stroking the belly of a born killer.
The cheetah cubs are a new level of cute. They are a miniature of the adults, but at a mere 5 months, that speed-demon build already creates an aerodynamic silhouette. But it's hard to take these little fuzz-faces seriously just yet - their poofy little heads make them look like kittens.
A caracal comes next. Her name is Gracie, and she is excitedly exploring her new habitat at the moment. This means a lot of shots of cat butt, but who could begrudge those tufted ears?
Saved the best for last. His name is Sebastian, and despite reaching an impressive age of 17, he's thriving. This lovey little guy is a lap-meerkat through and through, and who wouldn't love that inquisitive nose?
The animal encounters are one of a kind, and I'm thoroughly impressed but their Anatoli dog mission. A minimization of livestock loss for the farmers as well as a stop to the killing and mutilating of so many endangered predators, I am rooting for them and will gladly pet more animals for their cause.
They also have bat-eared foxes and servals to encounter, but their inconsistent availability of handlers means waiting all day or missing out. Still, we did get our fill of all the fuzzy things, and now we're left with nothing but fond memories...and maybe some meerkat fur.
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