As we descended from the airbus onto the tarmac at Jo’burg International Airport, the warm air of an African Spring morning enveloped us. I allowed myself a grin. We were back in Africa and the new quest to see and photograph a King Cheetah was truly under way. 

Passing swiftly through baggage reclaim and passport control, we were soon in transit to Cheetah lodge, our accommodation at the Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Centre.

We arrived an hour and a half later, up a dusty track at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountains. In front of us lay beautiful gardens and an extended farmhouse, the Cheetah Lodge. Warmly greeted by the assistant manager and Sebastian, the blue and brown eyed dalmation, we were given a conducted tour of our accommodation. The lounge walls were filled with prints and originals of the big cats, whilst on the coffee table lay a selection of mammal and bird books. Meanwhile the highly polished parquet floor was covered with rugs depicting cheetah and other cats. The whole place was my idea of heaven. The quest was getting better all the time. 

We spent the afternoon relaxing in the garden, watching a myriad of birds ranging from woodland kingfisher to sunbird flying from bush to bush. Camera equipment was checked and settings decided upon, my fastest memory cards installed and lenses cleaned to perfection. Now all we had to do was wait.

The next morning dawned brightly, with not a cloud in the cobalt blue sky and the sound of Africa all around us. Having had breakfast, we were picked up at 7.45a.m by our guide Erika, an ecologist who had lectured at Pretoria University. She transferred us to the Cheetah centre, ready to witness the cheetah runs which were conducted in the cool of the early morning. I needn’t have worried about the problem of too many tourists as there were only about fifteen others, and after an introduction to the work of the centre, we made our way to the sloping meadow which contained the course where the lure of feathers and fur would travel, hopefully with a cheetah in hot pursuit. We stationed ourselves behind a wicker fence, the majority of the tourists close to where the three cheetahs would start their run, the three of us, with digital slrs, spaced equally, further down the course, where we hoped to get our action shots. The tension mounted as we were informed that the first cheetah to run would be Shaka, a King cheetah who was the slowest of the three and would allow us to get used to trying to photograph a speeding cheetah.

 Photo Copyright Jon Isaacs 2011

Shaka cautiously emerged from the back of the land cruiser and, with the leash off, we waited for action. The lure hurtled off down the track and Shaka ambled after it. With me shooting at high speed he trotted past, and then cut the route so he was ahead of the lure on its return up the slope. Deciding that he would at least get some exercise, he suddenly looked mildly interested and moved into second gear to complete the run. His handler said she was really embarrassed by his performance and that he was sulking because she’d only returned that morning from holiday. Either way, I had witnessed and successfully photographed my first King Cheetah. Two spotted cheetahs followed. The first was a small female who rapidly went up through the gears, obviously loving every second of the exercise. The final cheetah, Graca, was the star of the show. With the land cruiser now turned end on we were told to expect an explosion and that’s what we got. The cheetah charged out of the back of the vehicle and reached sixty miles per hour in less than three seconds, even faster initial acceleration than an F1 racing car.  The lure was in danger of being caught and destroyed. Hurtling around the course, Graca used non-retractable claws, specially designed pads and its lengthy tail to stay upright. Trying to keep up with it in the viewfinder was nearly impossible and I ended up with pin sharp shots of the tip of its tail as it thundered back up the track, finely powdered soil flying in all directions. Having completed its run Graca sank onto the ground, temperature off the scale and craving oxygen. It really was breathtaking and the crowd fell silent in appreciation.

We left the running area, met up with Erika and continued our tour. Enclosures of honey badgers, including an albino named Blizzard, (Who had been rescued from the Cape where he would undoubtedly have died due to his visibility), caracal, wildcat, and brown hyena followed. At each enclosure we learnt much from Erika and enjoyed photographing the creatures exhibited. Then it was on to the wild dog packs, which were being bred for release, and an enclosure containing rare vultures, also part of an endangered breeding programme. Entering a large enclosure in our vehicle, we were pursued by one of the wild dog packs who knew we had their dinner. Running swiftly on either side of the vehicle, and jumping in mock attack from behind, it gave us a really good idea of how successfully they hunted. Eventually they received their food which disappeared under a mass of bodies, tails and dust.

To conclude our tour we were privileged to be amongst the first that season to be allowed to drive quietly down Lovers Lane, the area of smaller enclosures where the females are mated and raise their young. Stopping, we could see a small bundle of fluff at the rear of one of the enclosures. Using my longest telephoto I could just see the dark bodied youngster staring nervously at me. It was a young king, the first born that season. Further down the lane were two spotted cubs, and the difference in the coat could be clearly seen, even at that young age. Then it was on to see another female adult king who chose to ignore us, turning her back on us as she ate. However, even this was useful as it allowed me to get shots of the triple line pattern on her back, which is so characteristic of King Cheetah.

At the end of the tour Erika asked us if we wanted to see anything else, as she had a few spare minutes before her next appointment. I decided immediately that it had to be another meeting with Shaka and I enjoyed a happy ten minutes, on my own, photographing one of the rarest and most beautiful cats in the world.

As we poured over our photos during the afternoon, an elderly lady was introduced to us at the Lodge. It was Ann van Dyk, the owner and guiding light of the centre. Despite being eighty she still works with a passion to protect and breed her beloved cheetah. It was a privilege to meet her and made me determined to contribute in some small way to her charity which is entirely self funding. Consequently, my wife and I are now the proud adopted parents of Jongozi, a handsome and extremely large male cheetah who resides at the cheetah centre. So, if you get the chance to visit the centre, or stay at the Cheetah Lodge, take it. You will have a fantastic time, be warmly welcomed by all the staff and the loveable Sebastian, and be contributing towards a breeding programme which will help ensure the survival of the fastest mammal on earth.

As a footnote to this article, Ann Van Dyk has written her own account of how she struggled to create the cheetah centre, save the South African cheetah from the edge of extinction, and accidentally bred the King cheetah for the first time in captivity. Entitled “The Cheetahs of De Wildt,” the book makes fascinating reading for anybody interested in cheetahs or general conservation and contains many superb colour photos. The ISBN is 978-0-620-38483-4 and the second edition was published in 2007. I’m afraid I don’t know the current cost as I bought my copy at De Wildts in 2010, but I think it’s roughly £20-25 or 250 Rand. The centre also has a website which can be accessed through googling Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Centre.