Are you somebody that loves animals? Some people love animals and they will have dogs and cats in their home but other people will go out of their way to be around animals and will do anything in the process. It doesn’t even matter if they are putting themselves in harms way or sleeping with a cheetah, no distance is too far to go when it comes to loving animals.
Dolph C Volker is a person that really loves animals. He even got a zoology degree because of that love. “Began after watching my first dog die in my arms. It changed me. All life has greater meaning now. Consistent repetitive, compassion, love, and respect,” he explains on his YouTube channel.
It wasn’t long before he found his calling at the Cheetah Experience in South Africa. It is a sanctuary that helps to bring about awareness for endangered species and to breed cheetahs in captivity.
That was when he became obsessed with those big cats. Volker lives in the United States and works a full-time job. All of his money is saved up so he spends his time volunteering at the Cheetah Experience
A cheetah named Eden is one of the many friends he’s made at the sanctuary. He was concerned about getting close at first but he started to get to know Eden and she approached him while he was napping.
When Eden figured out that she actually liked Volker, she snuggled up with him and it was beautiful. Now they are BFFs and they cuddle together, with Eden even grooming him. Sometimes she may nip a little but he’s even used in that.
“True to Eden’s nature, she warmed up to me in days and ended up really liking me, so much so that I was able to trust her completely. The more she felt comfortable with me, the more she treated me just like another Cheetah which included the grooming, nibbling, biting, pacifying, purring, laying on me, and sleeping… cuddling up close to me. I’m amazed how much more interactive and affectionate Cheetahs are compared to the average domesticated cat,” Volker writes.
It looks like a perfect peaceful environment. It’s so adorable and the fact that he doesn’t have any fear just makes us love it even more.
He does admit that the little bites hurt sometimes but he still likes to indulge the feline.
“I had no idea Cheetahs were so special. I’ve fallen in love with them. It’s an incredible species that truly deserve help, support, and protection,” Volker says.
Because of his love for the big cats, he spends as much time as possible with them. He even has a YouTube channel that has lots of videos of his cheetah friends. He even calls himself ‘The Cheetah Whisper’.
He even managed to obtain his own cheetah and he has plans of establishing a nonprofit breeding center for cheetahs in South Africa.
“I am the legal owner and guardian of Gabriel The Cheetah (pictured). He is the first member of my cheetah family to become a part of my breeding project. He is my foundation animal. I’ve known Gabriel since he was eight months old and we hit it off from week one. He will be five years old Aug of 2018. I have special plans for Gabriel and those that follow him to live a life close to freedom as possible and show them what it is like to be a cheetah,” says Volker.
You can see Volker snuggling in with Eden in this video:
