Meet Dolph, A Man Who Became Best Friends With A Wild Cheetah

While most of us would be scared for our lives, Dolph Volker, a volunteer at the Cheetah Experience Breeding Centre in South Africa, has managed to make friends with… a cheetah. Dolph first met Gabriel, the cheetah he now legally owns, when the wild animal was just eight months old and they formed a special bond. Now, Dolph can leave Africa for more than a year, and Gabriel still greets him with hugs and friendly licks. Dolph has managed to hand-feed the cheetah and spend the entire night sleeping next to him out in the open.

Originally, Dolph came to South Africa to work on establishing a non-profit captive cheetah breeding project there. He wants to raise cubs with their mom, exercise and train them to hunt, rewild, and then release them.

More info: Facebook | cheetahexperience.com | youtube.com

Meet Dolph, the “cheetah whisperer”

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Here’s Gabriel, the cheetah that Dolph has managed to befriend

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Gabriel always greets Dolph with friendly kisses

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

The buddies have even managed to sleep together through the night without Dolph getting injured

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Dolph first met Gabriel the cheetah on his trip to Africa for a non-profit breeding project

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

The project’s goal is to raise cubs with their mom, train them to hunt, and then release them into the wild

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Despite the close bond he has formed with Gabriel over the years, Dolph remains aware of the dangers that come with interacting with a predator of this kind

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

“Cheetahs can’t speak English so I have to read behavior to understand their moods. If they want to be left alone, they let you know by actions,” Dolph wrote on Facebook

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

Kudos to Dolph for achieving such a unique friendship and working towards breeding more happy and safe cheetahs

Image credits: The Cheetah Whisperer

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