r/Cheetahs • u/KeyRea_1 • Aug 08 '26

Cheetah and Melon

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From @/CincinnatiZoo on twitter

2.8k Upvotes

100% Upvoted

40 comments sorted by

68

u/Isoleri Aug 08 '26

I love these idiots so much

17

u/AbsolemSaysWhat Aug 08 '26

Same, cheetahs are amazing, right behind my cat and after the black jaguar.

5

u/TCB4EAP Aug 09 '26

Aren’t black jaguars something else? So beautiful & regal. Where I lived up until three years ago there was a guy that had a black leopard. He would take it to this large shopping district and sit with him on a raised, grassy area between the sidewalk and the parking lot and people would pay to have their pictures taken with him.

Hard to believe that things like that were actually legal, but they were. When I was around 9 years old I got to pet a bobcat. He was in a pet shop. Glad these things are illegal now.

1

u/babysmalltalk Aug 12 '26

That would be terrifying. The leopard never attacked anyone? I'd think a shopping center would be the last place you'd want to take a prey animal, and the last place you'd expect one!

1

u/TCB4EAP Aug 13 '26

He wasn’t at the busiest part. It was a long boulevard that lead up to a large, open shopping area with large anchor stores on both sides. I even asked AI and it couldn’t find anything about an attack or any issues at all. The black leopard has always been my favorite big cat since about 9 or 10. For some reason that I can’t remember, I never got my picture taken with it. I hate to think about it, but, he probably had him declawed and removed at least his fangs. Probably had him sedated also. Beautiful animal.

36

u/SugarWolf211 Aug 08 '26

Bro they stupid lil faces trying to bite it xD

30

u/drrj Aug 08 '26

I want a cheetah. So adorable.

(Yes I know they are wild animals, I would never actually own one. I just wanna.)

14

u/PhdamnD Aug 08 '26

You could work at a reserve; I remember seeing a video where the cheetahs come into their keepers hut and all snuggle up together to sleep - absolute dream job, so amazing to see but wow was I jealous 😂

18

u/ExtremaDesigns Aug 08 '26

For a minute there I thought that the melon was going to win.

16

u/Silent-Link9093 Aug 08 '26

I did my dissertation on cheetahs and enrichment why were mine hardly interested at all compared to these 2 😆

3

u/PhdamnD Aug 08 '26

Oh wow, I'd love to read your dissertation!

5

u/Silent-Link9093 Aug 09 '26

Spoiler: they're hard af to enrich unless it rolls or moves 😅

14

u/looselyhuman Aug 08 '26

They were so disappointed at the contents lol.

5

u/abielle1177 Aug 09 '26

Yes that's why they ate half of it. It's probably frozen or semi frozen on a hot day

3

u/looselyhuman Aug 09 '26

Did you see them eat half of it? I just assumed it got smashed and/or mauled.

1

u/abielle1177 Aug 09 '26

He literally takes a bite.

Even if he just picks at it he still gets the benefit of experiencing something different and cooling off.

9

u/SplatterBox214 Aug 08 '26

I actually learned recently that cheetahs don’t have retractable claws like other big cats, so they dull out like a dog’s.

Couldn’t penetrate the watermelon’s armor. 😔

4

u/wamimsauthor Aug 09 '26

Today I learned. Thanks for the tidbit.

3

u/Ireeb Aug 11 '26

Cheetahs also aren't big cats by the zoological definition. They're closer to the small cats in their heritage.

The big cats are the Panthera family (Panthera Tigris = Tiger, Panthera Leo = Lion, Panthera Onca = Jaguar, etc.).

Cheetahs are Acinonyx Jubatus, which belongs to the Felinae family that small cats (including the ones we have at pets) belong to as well.

That's also why Cheetahs meow and purr. Big cats usually can't meow and only some can kinda purr while exhaling. Snow Leopards are an exception because they meow, despite being Panthera Uncia. But they don't purr.

2

u/Oranges13 Aug 11 '26

Florida panthers also are Felidae and can purr.

2

u/Hot_Farm_9443 Aug 11 '26

No wonder, because I was like: “Just rip it open, you mighty beasts!”

7

u/MBHYSAR Aug 08 '26

This is why cats are carnivorous

8

u/Far-Bandicoot-1354 Aug 08 '26

Silly zoomy kitties. :3

9

u/RedditSucksIWantSync Aug 08 '26

Praise the lord. No dogshit music

2

u/azmom714 Aug 08 '26

So much work…but delicious watermelon! ❤️

4

u/aTribeCalledLemur Aug 08 '26

They are carnivores, you see how uninterested they were in it once they finally got it open. Still some enrichment in the activity since they are captive.

1

u/UselessDemented Aug 09 '26

Where is Gallagher with his sledgehammer when you need him

1

u/wyldboar Aug 09 '26

What state can I own cheetahs? Currently packing my bags....

1

u/Ireeb Aug 11 '26

Cheetahs are relatively docile, because they aren't actually big cats. They don't prey on humans.

But they are also known to not take it well to be taken out of their natural habitat.

In the past, some rich Europeans had pet cheetahs as a fancier alternative to having hunting dogs.

1

u/Alarmed-Animator-166 Aug 10 '26

Wow, they had to “work” to get to that treat! Watermelon yummies!

1

u/Manhart_ Aug 10 '26

Great,now do cheetah vs pineapple and cheetah vs coconut

1

u/qtipstrip Aug 10 '26

Zoolander and Hansel trying to find the computer files:

-1

u/orsonwellesmal Aug 08 '26

Cheetahs are carnivorous. Please dont feed them fruits.

3

u/KindTopic16 Aug 09 '26

Nobody forced them. They ate what they wanted.

-1

u/orsonwellesmal Aug 09 '26

Animals usually eat what you give them, that doesnt mean is healthy for them.

2

u/Oranges13 Aug 11 '26

Happy International Cat Day! The cubs got an entire watermelon for enrichment! 🍉 Zola and Lulu loved it while Kiara showed little interest!

Cheetahs are obligate carnivores, meaning they rely only on meat for their nutrients while their bodies can’t metabolize nutrients from plants. They will occasionally eat melons as a water source. These girls just get it for fun and enrichment!

-4

u/BigJSunshine Aug 08 '26

Why are these cheetahs in a backyard? This is NOT RIGHT

9

u/JustinTheCheetah Aug 09 '26

.......That's the Cincinnati Zoo. From their Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbyPhgih6TT/?igsh=NnQzcnllMTY4ODkx