Baiting the Lions and attacked by a Cheetah

We went to Bloemfontein in central SA over the Easter Weekend. Wayne has a new contract there and we went to meet the families and hang out. It his a really pretty area, 61/2 hours from where we live in Hillcrest. The drive was long and painful with 3 whiny kids. But once there it was amazing. The famlies we visited were delightful. It was interesting, the younger kids only spoke Affrikanns. But luckily kids and play in any language. As a group we went to the coolest place called 'Cheetah Experience". In there you get to play with young Cheetahs. Not something you hear about everyday.

The adventures started with a walk over to the leopards. They were 3 siblings all 7 months old. Beautiful but not tame at all. They stalked the children. It was eerily having them literally walk the enclosure only watching the kids. Their eyes never left them. From there we walked over to the Lions. Two female lions and two canadian wolves who had grown up together. When we first go there the one lion was hiding in the grass. All you could see where her eyes. The Guides showed us their trick for coaxing the lion out. She asked 'MY" sweet little Lukey to walk up along the fence to the tree and back. Within seconds the lion had jumped out and was to the fence staring down Luke. He was offically lion bait. They said lions find kids more appealing because of there size. The rest of the time she paced along side of Luke until we left the area. Remind me to never let a lion check out my kids. I'd like to keep them a little while longer.

After that walk about, we got to meet the Cheetahs. We went into this huge enclosure with the adult Cheetahs and were able to pet one of the big females. She was so beautiful. Then on to the little cheetahs. There were two beautiful babies, one 3 months and one 10 months. From the moment we walked in, I was in love!!! All the kids were giggy. How could you not be with these little kitties. Again my sweet little Lukey wanted to get close and personal with a wild cat. He bent down to pet the 3 month old and suddenly the 10 month old attacked!! She jumped on his back to play, digging her claws into his shoulder. Lukey screamed and Wayne grabbed the cat off of Luke. When we looked at his shoulder, his shirt was ripped and a scrape was bleeding from his shoulder. Lukey was most unhappy and very emotional. We proceeded to tell him how cool he was for being attacked by a cheetah and having a battle scar to prove it. That feisty little cheetah proceeded to attack others as they bant down and had to be removed from the area.

It was such an amazing expirence. Something the kids and I will never forget, Lukey baiting the lions and then being attacked be a cheetah and living to tell it all.