Dogs may be humankind’s best friend, but in zoos across the country and farms across Africa, they’re quickly becoming a cheetah’s best friend too.
Cheetahs get helping paw from dogs
In the wild, male cheetahs live in social groups called coalitions, hunting and defending their territory together. Females live with their kittens until they’re about 2 years old. Hand-raised cheetah kittens or those that have medical problems early in life benefit from having a puppy pal. Once bonded, the puppies offer gentle snuggles and comfort when needed most, and tons of playtime too.
Kumbali and Kago
Well-socialized and confident dogs help cheetahs cope with new or stressful situations by modeling relaxed, positive behavior. These calming social cues are especially important because cheetahs have a strong flight instinct. Hence all the zoom.
All this added confidence and social skills are especially helpful for cheetahs who are zoo ambassadors — performing or meeting guests at zoos.
Winspear and Amani
Once the cheetahs are full grown, they may spend some of their time socializing with other cheetahs, but most stay bonded with their dog friend for life.
Ruuxa and Raina
Choosing the right puppy to bond with a cheetah means finding a dog that combines high energy with confidence and sociability. Size and longevity are also a factor.
Emmett and Cullen
In one case, zoo staff met with a litter of puppies and played with them until only one still had the energy to burn and chose that one to take to the zoo.
In another story, a cheetah kitten was brought to meet a litter of puppies and picked his own best friend out for himself!
Cheetah conservation relies on dogs too
Meanwhile, in Africa, a non-profit is working with local conservation programs to help protect endangered cheetahs in their native habitat by helping farmers and ranchers keep their animals safe from predation without resorting to killing predators.
You gotta love Jack Hanna
The Cheetah Conservation Fund breeds and trains Anatolian shepherd dogs and gives them to farmers to protect their livestock from predators like the cheetah.
Anatolians are large (120-150lb) dogs with a mighty bark, bred for centuries to guard livestock in their native Turkey from wolves and bears. The puppies are raised with their flock of sheep or goats, and bond deeply, priming their protective instinct. Once full-grown, their presence (and bark!) keeps predators at bay, making them an excellent non-lethal predator control option.
Farmers receive ongoing training and veterinary support for their guardian dogs, plus livestock husbandry education to make sure their protected sheep, goats, and cows not only survive but thrive.
Hat Tip: CBS News
