Cheetah Experience
ZA CHEETAH CONSERVATION
Where hearts remain
Cheetah Experience relocated from Bloemfontein to Bela Bela, Limpopo in early 2021. Come and visit us at our new home!
WHAT WE DO
Cheetah Experience is a registered non-profit company originally based in Bloemfontein but relocated to Bela Bela, Limpopo in March 2021.
We are home to a number of endangered and threatened species, including cheetahs, leopards, male non-breeding lions, servals, caracals, African wildcats, wolves, meerkats, and a Siberian tiger. Our project takes in rescued animals from the local area, so we also have various animals from time to time, including two dwarf goats and some chickens.
We offer visitors a once in a lifetime opportunity to come on an educational tour and learn about our animals, see them up close, take some amazing photos, and learn how you can join us in the fight to protect these precious species.
We also offer a wide range of Volunteer and Internship Programmes, which have seen over 1,000 hard-working, dedicated people from 33 countries come and be a special part of the Cheetah Experience Global Volunteer Family, and contribute to conservation in South Africa.
Faith's footsteps
Some souls leave paw prints that time can never erase.
On 1 July 2026, with the heaviest of hearts, we said goodbye to our beloved Faith.
Faith was never just another cheetah. She was family. She was hope. She was resilience. She was the heart of Cheetah Experience.
As a tiny cub, Faith survived meningitis - something very few cheetahs ever do. She fought through unimaginable challenges, learning to walk again and adapting to a life forever changed. Her curled tail, stiff little steps and proud walk never defined her - they simply made her unmistakably Faith.
Against all odds, Faith lived an incredible 13 years. Every one of those years was a gift, filled with courage, determination and an unwavering will to live. She didn’t just survive - she truly lived, inspiring thousands of people along the way.
Every morning, Faith looked forward to her special walk through the passage, greeting volunteers, soaking up every bit of attention and enjoying the one-on-one care she loved so much. Because of her condition, she needed to be hand-fed and what began as a necessity became one of the most treasured experiences for so many visitors.
Over the past months, we watched her health slowly decline. We celebrated every good day, every meal she enjoyed and every walk she still wanted to take. But this morning, Faith told us what her heart already knew. She no longer wanted her morning walk. She no longer wanted to eat. Her tired little body had fought for long enough.
Today, we made the hardest decision any animal caregiver can make. We chose to let our beautiful girl go peacefully, surrounded by the people who loved her more than words could ever express.
Our hearts are broken.
But Faith taught us that strength isn’t measured by how perfectly you walk, how fast you run or how easy life has been.
Strength is choosing to keep going.
To trust.
To love.
To inspire.
Run free, beautiful girl. Run without pain. Run without limits.
Thank you for 13 unforgettable years.
Thank you for every lesson.
Thank you for every memory.
You will forever be part of Cheetah Experience. We will love you always.
Forever our Faith.
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WHY WE DO IT
"Extinction is Forever"
Our Mission is to raise awareness of the vulnerability of South African species and other endangered species through educational experiences, as well as ethically breeding cheetahs in captivity.
At Cheetah Experience, our animals come first, and everything we do is for our animals. Our current focus is to ensure that our cheetah breeding project aids in the conservation of the Cheetah, by using the DNA samples taken from our Cheetahs to maintain genetic diversity. We work alongside other ethical and responsible projects to help secure the Cheetah's future survival. In 2016 cheetah population figures were revised, showing that the global population of the cheetah is estimated at ∼7,100 individuals, and confined to 9% of their historical distributional range.
Our long term goal is to be able to release some animals into a protected yet self-sustaining natural habitat where animals are still monitored by researchers and medical experts but live free. Understanding their needs, behaviour, and instincts plays a key role in saving animals from extinction.
We are proud to have been involved with some releases through another project over the last few years, as well as donating Rumi and Rae for release in conjunction with the Askari Wilderness Conservation Programme.
Want to get involved? Learn about conservation volunteering opportunities in South Africa.
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THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS
