Cheetah

By this point in the exhibit, you've already encountered some of Africa's most talented predators; now it's time to meet the fastest land animal on the planet, the cheetah. An open-air mesh screen is all that separates you from this beautiful cat. His sloped and hilly habitat features a watering hole, where the cheetah can take a refreshing drink during the heat of the day. The water cascading into the pool has a soothing effect, and you feel as though you could spend the rest of your day listening to the sounds and watching this agile cat.

You tear yourself away from the pack and just a little farther along you come across a nice surprise. It's a safari vehicle. You discover that half of the vehicle is inside the cheetah habitat and the other half is inside the visitor space. Warily climbing behind the wheel, you discover that you're now eye to eye with a powerful cheetah. The cheetah is lying on the warm metal hood, with only the windshield separating you from it. You remember pictures from Africa in which you'd seen cheetahs lazing on the hoods of safari vehicles, but you never dreamed you'd experience the thrill of seeing it in person.