I couldn't help but hold my breath when I saw this woman out in the grass, face-to-face with two full-grown cheetahs. But it didn't take long to realize this footage is actually quite beautiful, and the story behind it is remarkable.
This is not just any woman foolishly frolicking with big cats in the wild. This is Lente Roode, head of the cheetah breeding station for endangered species at Hoedspruit, South Africa. These cats are being cared for by Lente, and this video is a quick snapshot of a day in their normal lives.
Lente’s father owned a family farm, where her love of wild animals was first established. At the age of six, she was given an orphaned cheetah cub after a farmer shot the mother. The cheetah, named Sebeka, became part of the family, with Lente spending all the time she could with her tame cheetah.
In 1985, Lente and her husband bought their first farm on the border of her family farm in Hoedspruit. Soon after, Des Varaday, a well-known cheetah breeder, asked her if she would adopt all 35 of his cheetahs, as he was getting too old to look after them. Lente agreed to providing a secure and healthy life for his beloved animals. With the help and guidance of Professor David Meltzer of the Onderstepoort Faculty of Veterinary Science, they planned and built the Hoedspruit Cheetah Project within a year.
It's amazing to me that there are people in this world whose lives are dedicated to nurturing relationships with such beautiful wild animals. Please SHARE this incredible moment!
