The Cheetah Experience in Bloemfontein, Free State

It is a once in a lifetime experience to be able to actually touch and stroke a wild animal - especially a cheetah! Add the wonderful sound of it purring to this and you will remember it forever. We have various animals staying with us from time to time. So, in addition to our cheetahs, you may also be able to touch a lion cub, tiger cub, jaguar cub, leopard cub, wolf and a number of others. Keeping in mind that you always have to respect the animals, as they are still wild animals by nature, you can come and enjoy this awesome experience with us.

About The Cheetah Experience: Riana van Nieuwenhuizen has been involved with Friends of the Zoo since 1996, and bought her first cheetah, Fiela, in 2006, after realizing the problems cheetahs face and that they're heading towards extinction. Riana then conceptualized promoting her tame cheetah to increase awareness and for education.

In November 2007 she launched the project with a hectare of land provided by Emoya Estate located in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Visitors on game drives at Emoya have the opportunity to meet Fiela and learn more about this endangered species. The Fiela Funds Cheetah Breeding Project is a South African registered Non Profit organization, primarily concerned with education. The purpose of the Fiela Funds is to ensure the long-term survival of the cheetah and their ecosystem.