My job is cool. For years I' ve enjoyed a career training and performing with beluga whales and Pacific whitesided dolphins, but I recently got to experience something that I never dreamed I would. I've never been one to play sports but last week I found myself on a football field in Tampa, Florida. As if being on the 50 yard line wasn't enough, I got to witness one of the most amazing athletes dash across the field at amazing speeds. But this athlete was no member of the football player. He was a cheetah! Yes, you heard me! A cheetah!
Being the fastest land animal on the planet, cheetahs are know for their sleek build and amazing speed and agility. Our friends at our sister park Busch Gardens Tampa wanted to document this for an upcoming episode of the education based show Shamu TV presents Saving A Species. I was asked to be an on-camera host for portions of the show and traveled down to Florida to assist with the production. (A very cool perk of my job!) After much preparation and planning, three cheetahs were transported to Tropicana Field and trained to follow a lure that was set to travel the length of the football field and show off their amazing fast running ability. A high speed camera was set to capture slow motion footage of the cheetahs as they sped down the field. It would show the intricaces of the animal's body as it ran, something that the human eye is unable to distinguish due to the incredible speeds that cheetahs can reach.
As the cheetah raced down the length of the field in less than 7 seconds, we all stared in amazement. We were equally amazed by the fact that some very dedicated animal keepers developed such a relationship with these animals that they were able to teach them to show off their incredible abilities in a safe and controlled setting. Very few people can say they've witnessed such a site. Thanks to Busch Garden's (and SeaWorld's) continued efforts to teach the world about animals you will be able to!
Continued success and blessings to you and yours,
Chuck
P.S. Wanna see the completed episode of Shamu TV? Check the website for details on this and other Saving a Species programs.
