Source:

Dolph C. Volker

I love when I know the answer to a question before it’s asked. Do cheetahs prefer cold concrete or warm blankets and company?

These captive cheetahs were bred and born at cheetah breeding centers in South Africa; one at Cheetah Experience. All are quite tame as they are groomed for the breeding program so when they have cubs, they can be monitored closely. An accepting and approachable mother allows that. There is a plan to release one of these cheetahs into a protected wild in the near future.

I was granted special permission to spend my nights with the three because I had watched them grow up and built up a relationship with them during past volunteering.

It is natural for a family or friends of animals living together to share warmth. It is a survival behavior that is innate. In our human survival schools, we are taught to huddle together if lost in the wilderness; conserving heat by sharing warmth. They recommend you do it without clothing because fabric acts like an insulator and you don’t get the maximum efficiency of heat transfer to your body.

I think it is really cool these cheetahs trust and like me enough to share their most vulnerable time at night to snuggle, purr, and share their warmth and sleep with me. It is an extraordinarily rewarding feeling.

I don’t get much sleep due to the constant getting up, readjusting, and laying back down. Cheetahs are very skittish and wake up at the slightest sound or vibrations, so I don’t get much sleep, but I don’t do this to get rest but to experience something quite unique and special. I don’t sleep with these cats, they sleep with me. They come to me which makes it more special. They enjoy the company almost as much as I do.

There is a cameo visit from Lucas the Jumping Spider at 01:45​. Even spiders enjoy warm blankets, pillows and good company. Who doesn’t?

“Sleeping With Cheetahs; Three Cheetahs At A Time,” Dolph C. Volker

Thanks for watching!

My YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC25b…