Cheetah Outreach / Somerset West

Come and visit some big cats at the Cheetah Outreach Center in Somerset West. Here you can meet and greet some of their Ambassador Cats and experience a close encounter with those beautiful animals.

The main goal of the Cheetah Outreach is to promote the survival of the free-ranging, South African, cheetah. The world wide Cheetah population went down from an estimated 100,000 to currently 6,700 due to a shrinking habitat, dwindling of natural prey and the conflict with human activities. There are about 1,326 cheetahs in South Africa of which approximately 500 free ranging cheetah live on unprotected farm lands in the northern part of the country.

In order to protect them, the Cheetah Trust is collecting donations and sponsors. So if you are looking for a unique experience AND do some good while doing it, the Cheetah Outreach is a perfect place to go.

General Tour

They charge a small entrance fee of R10 per person during the week and R5 on weekends. This entrance fee includes a free general tour that takes place at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 14:30 and 15:30. The tour starts with an introduction to the cheetah conservation programme and you can ask all the questions that come to mind. After that, you will be guided to see the animals which include cheetahs, caracal, servals, jackal, meerkats, bat-eared foxes, and Anatolian shepherd dogs. The guide will give you information on all these different species and talk about them in detail. The general tour lasts about 1 hour.

Cheetah Encounter

If you want to get close to a cheetah, you can book a special Cheetah Encounter for R160 as an adult and R100 for children under the age of 14. You will have the opportunity to be in close proximity to one of their cheetahs and you may have photos taken of you with the cat. The Cheetah Encounters are available from 10:00 – 13:00 and again from 14:00 – 17:00. Tickets are available at the gate.

Special Cheetah Experience

If you want to spend some quality time with these beautiful animals, you can book a special cheetah experience where you spend 20-30 minutes in the recreation enclosure and the adult male cheetah will be off the lead at times for a unique photographic opportunity. Don’t worry. You won’t be on your own and face the big cat all by yourself. There are 2 handlers and back handlers with you keeping your back in case the cat is getting bored and giving you all the information you need.

This experience requires a minimum of 2 people with a maximum of 4 people. This is for adults only and costs R600 per person. The Special Cheetah Experience needs to be booked well in advance and might only be available in the morning during summer.

VIP Private Cheetah Encounter

For a more exclusive experience, you and your group of people will have the opportunity to meet the adult male cheetah in a private area and you can spend some quality time of 30 minutes with the big cat and the handlers. Of course, you’ll be able to also take photos with the cheetah.

This cheetah encounter also includes a private tour of the facility and you’ll learn all about the conservation programme and get introduced to all other animals. In addition you will meet one of the small predators; a bat-eared fox or caracal. Children of all ages can join this private tour.

Prices vary depending on the size of your group. It is R4,400 per group (1-10 persons); R5,000 (11-30 persons); R8,500 (31-45 persons). Fully inclusive of entry and tour. Booking well in advance is essential.

Bat-eared Fox Encounter

When you’re happy with smaller animals and want to get real close to them, you can say Hi to the bat-eared foxes and take photos with them. This encounter is available between 10:00 – 13:00 and 14:00 – 17:00. It’s a R100 per person and tickets can be bought directly at the gate.

Feeding Tour

When you visit the Cheetah Outreach in the afternoon, you can take part in the feeding tour which takes place at 15:30 every day. You’ll have the opportunity to watch their small animals being fed their afternoon meal. A guide provides information about each animal. Often the meal is used as an enrichment activity that encourages natural behaviour such as jumping and climbing. Since it’s happening only once a day, pre-booking is an advantage if you definitely want to be part of this experience.

Feeding Tours generally last about 30 minutes and cost R50 per adult and R30 per child (under 14).

Photo Shoot

Still not enough? Then get something truly special and book an exclusive photographic session with one of their cheetahs supervised by an experienced handler. The shooting usually takes place in the recreational enclosure and can be for commercial or private purposes. It’s R5,000 per hour or part thereof.