A 17-year-old German boy and two classmates deviated from the route of the walking safari in the Beekse Bergen on Monday morning. The three walked along a service path, past warning signs (also in German) and over a cattle grid and ended up in the cheetah enclosure. When they saw the feline predators, they ran. A cheetah can reach a speed of over 100 kilometers per hour. The boy was grabbed and bitten.
Although there is only one species of cheetah or cheetah, there are subspecies. This is mainly expressed in the appearance of the animal. The cheetahs in safari park Beekse Bergen are southern cheetahs. This species lives in the Sahara and has a better camouflage in the desert thanks to its lighter fur.
The Danger of a Cheetah
It almost never happens that a cheetah attacks a human. Although the animal is a carnivore, man does not belong to his dinner or breakfast. It only attacks a human when it feels threatened or attacked. The cheetah mainly hunts small to medium prey.
The animal was once kept as a pet by kings. These kept a cheetah on a leash so they could protect the kings from danger. The animal radiated a high status for the kings and were also used for hunting.
real hunter
The scientific name of a cheetah is the Acinonyx jubatus jubatus. As the name suggests, a cheetah is a true hunter. This mainly happens in the morning or early evening. The animal then lies down on a high spot and keeps an eye on its environment.
While other felines wait for the prey to get close enough to jump on it, a cheetah stalks its prey from about 70 to 100 meters and then gives chase. Like a rocket, the cheetah sprints towards its prey and tries to knock its hind legs away, causing the animal to stumble and fall.
Then the hunter climbs on top of it and kills its prey by suffocation. When the prey is dead, it is taken to a hiding place. There the cheetah can eat peacefully without lions or hyenas taking the food away. Sprinting takes a lot of energy and he also has to rest well before a new hunt can start.
The animals in the Beekse Bergen
A large group of cheetahs can be found in the safari park. These can be seen in different ways. The cheetahs can be visited by safari bus, car safari or walking safari. Four years ago, things also went wrong with a French family that got out of the car in the same enclosure to take a closer look at the animals.
Some facts about the leopards in the Beekse Bergen:
- Average age: 6 to 16 years old
- Weight: 35 to 55 kilos
- Food: Meat
- Wearing time: 3 months
- Offspring: 1 to 6 youngsters
Vulnerable animal species
According to the IUCN Red List (a list of all animal species and their threat status), the cheetah is considered a vulnerable species. By the disappearance of the habitat and by hunting. The animal is mainly hunted for their fur and trade. Other large predators pose a threat to young cheetahs.
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