Scrambling off the bus, YATZ eagerly awaited their upcoming task. Greeting them were the soft canary calls of the fastest land predator on earth, echoing out across the Australian ‘savannah’. Marching forwards we distributed amongst ourselves buckets, rakes and gloves. After exercising our numerical skills and splitting into three groups, we were directed towards one of three enclosures. My group worked within the enclosure previously occupied by the newest additions to the monarto cheetah family. Recently, the cheetah cubs and their mother had moved into the view of the public and now wandered throughout a larger exhibit, hence being provided the opportunity to broaden their ever expanding curiosity and understanding of this new world around them.

So together our groups worked beside one another, removing sticks, stones and the skeletal remains of enrichment boxes and branches. The trailer grew taller and taller until the nest of branches we collected surpassed even the tallest of our YATZ members heads. Our job complete, we bade goodbye to the beautiful creatures that had stalked their holding yards patiently as they curiously awaited our tasks completion. We were then surprised with the opportunity to witness two of the adult cheetahs morning feeds. Quietly kneeling by the enclosure, the most elegant of creatures I had ever witnessed padded gently towards us. Lips curled back revealing both gleaming canines and a gentle hiss, the cheetahs nose wrinkled and her body extended as she accepted her snack. Meeting eyes with this most beautiful creature was one of the purest, most humbling moments I have experienced and I could feel the group around me fall into quiet awe as we all were encompassed by the moment. These experiences solidify our desires to protect these most incredible creatures so that others too may experience such magic. It was the most incredible reward for a job well done.

Bec

YATZ Member