By. Ran
Cheetahs are quite big cats. And to make things even better, they are the fastest animals on the planet earth. Yet, this might come as a surprise to you, they are pretty sensitive beings. They get so anxious and they don’t know how to socialize with each other. And that is why they are under the risk of becoming extinct. So a solution had to be found. And a solution was found! Lucky for all of us, the solution came in the form of pups!
As cheetahs need assistance, zoos have been providing them with support dogs. Now cheetahs have their very own emotional support dogs. “It’s a love story of one species helping another species survive,” said Jack Grisham, vice president of animal collections at the St. Louis Zoo and species survival plan coordinator for cheetahs in North America.
“A dominant dog is very helpful because the African animals are quite shy instinctively, and you can’t breed that out of them,” explains Janet Rose-Hinostroza, animal training supervisor at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. “When you pair a cheetah cub with a guide dog, the cat looks to the dog for cues and learns to model their behavior. It’s about getting them to read that calm, happy-go-lucky vibe from the dog” and that assists them with gaining confidence.
(h/t: thoughtco)
#1. Cheetahs are socially awkward and that is why they need emotional support.
Image credits: Columbus Zoo
#2. If they become too anxious, they don’t breed and go extinct.
Image credits: Columbus Zoo
#3. And to save the day, here comes the pups.
Image credits: Columbus Zoo
#4. When they have a dog around, cheetahs relax and learn confident behaviors they can mimic.
Image credits: Columbus Zoo
#5. “It’s a love story of one species helping another species survive”.
Image credits: CBS News
#6. “It’s about getting them to read that calm, happy-go-lucky vibe from the dog”.
Image credits: CBS News
And here is a video!
