Duma

Hootoksi Tyabji

I have always had a passion for animals and as a child I dreamed of safaris and Africa, of jungles and hideouts, of being able to watch wild animals in their natural habitat.

When we were posted in Tanzania, this dream became a reality and at every opportunity I got, I was in a game park on safari, with each sighting more exciting than the next! We saw lions in trees, a whole pride lazing in the sun so close to our jeep that we could have touched them, a handsome male lying across a path so that we could not cross it; we saw giraffe in their hundreds, gazelles, monkeys, hippo, rhino, wildebeest, leopard, cheetah, countless species of birds and even a zebra giving birth! Imagine the wonder of that! I thought to myself, “Nothing can top that”, but something did!

We were driving from Dutywa in the Eastern Cape to Cape Town along the famous garden route, when we decided to go off the track and explore. On most days we would start calling B&Bs for a room for the night around 4 PM. On this day, we found ourselves in an industrial area around that time and the B&Bs on offer were not attractive at all! We stopped at a gas station and while we were there, I saw a brochure advertising a private game park called Kragga Kamma, an hour's drive away.

I called and outr luck held as the park had a self-catering chalet available, and we were on our way. The chalet was perfect, even better than we had dared to hope to find at such short notice.

The next morning after a restful night and a some good coffee, we drove around around the vast park and saw zebra, giraffe, deer, cheetah, lion, tiger, ostrich, wild boar, rhinoceros and wildebeest.

At breakfast I read a sign that said "Come and play with DUMA our tame cheetah" I could not believe what I was reading! A chance to touch a cheetah?????

Duma was famous and had acted in several Hollywood movies! He was in a large enclosure with another cheetah who was also tame, but she did not like being touched. We went in with a handler and as soon as I began stroking him, he rolled over on the ground and started up this loud growl which was frightening! I immediately pulled my hand away and the handler laughed and said, "Oh! that’s only him purring. He's happy, don't stop", so at first tentatively and then with much gusto, I continued stroking, scratching and loving him just as I do our kitty at home! He had the most beautiful markings on his face and his eyes were bright as stars and of a color I can’t describe. I was lost in them! His coat was rough, and he was all muscle under it, and powerful! I could have spent the day there, but Duma was getting bored and ready for a bit more fun! He got hold of my arm and gave me little love bite (as little as a 4-year-old cheetah could!) which indicated that it was time for us to move on. Just as we got up to leave, he flew to the edge of the enclosure and showed us that he was indeed the fastest of all land animals on earth. He runs at 114 Kms an hour but can only maintain that speed for about 60 seconds. What a splendid animal, and what a treat to be able to feel and love and be so close to him!

Later that day we chanced upon a private lion park where three cubs had been born just 30 days ago. I cuddled them for a bit, such pure joy!