(Pic by Michael Stewart: artSMart editor achieves a lifelong wish – to pat a cheetah. Partly obscured: handler James Oertel)A delightfully relaxing 24 hours at Kievits Kroon - and the chance to pat a cheetah! (Report by Caroline Smart)
Multichoice recently invited members of the media – and I was the lucky one from KZN – to enjoy a glorious 24-hour retreat at the Kievits Kroon hotel and conference centre to inform us of exciting news for all subscribers - with several new channels, bouquets, four prestigious awards and upcoming programming now under the DStv brand (see following story - Stay Ahead with DStv).
Kievits Kroon is situated in the Dinokeng area, which is the north-eastern quadrant of Gauteng province and in close proximity to Pretoria and Johannesburg. Set in this fairly bushy area which makes you think you’re in a game reserve, it’s like being transported to the Cape when you enter the imposing gates and drive down the jacaranda avenue towards the gracious Cape Dutch style buildings.
The main buildings are surrounded by numerous cottages – some with tall domed thatch roofs, others with Cape Dutch gables. So while you have freedom the grounds outside your little cottage of three rooms, one doesn’t feel isolated and it’s a quick and easy walk to the main buildings.
Multichoice always tries to give the media different experiences for its various genres and so – to focus on documentaries and wildlife - they hosted a presentation by the South African National Bird of Prey Centre. We were privileged to meet the magnificent cheetah Sahara, courtesy of his handler James Oertel. While keeping Sahara firmly on a leash, he invited people to pat him but reminded us that we should avoid looking him in the eye or showing our teeth because in animal language that shows aggression.
One of my lifelong wishes has been to pat a cheetah and, finally I got the chance. What an experience! They are just as beautiful close at hand as they are fifty feet away from your car in the wild. I didn’t expect the fur to be quite so coarse and, instructed by James to move my hand to Sahara’s ribs (see pic), I was able to feel the strong vibrations from his purring.
Cheetahs are an endangered species so all credit to the South African National Bird of Prey Centre which conserves cheetah as well as raptors by implementing their four main aims of Education, Rehabilitation, Captive Breeding and Research. For more information on this 13 year-old registered non profit organization, phone 011 648 9294 or 083 585 9540 or visit www.birdsofprey.org.za
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