"Saari and Vincent"

Once upon a time...The story of a man and a young female cheetah

This story begins in Namibia, April 2008 ; my father is a hunter and I was involved in taking photos of his journey. After several hours of flight and a difficult trip on the Namibian roads, we finally arrived at Hochfeld Lodge.

And there, to my great surprise, a yellow shape spotted with black was lying on the lawn:my eyes were not deceiving me, it was indeed a cheetah!

The animal that, since my childhood, I have never stopped admiring, its slim outline and its athlete's body, its strength and fragility, skillful contrast which nature knew how to create but which man regrettably does not know how to respect …

From that moment, I decided to spend as much time as most possible with this 7 months old young female cheetah, she was called Saari.
Having conversed with the Austrian owners of the Lodge, I learned that this young female had been saved as her Mother had doubtlessly been killed by a hunter, because, even if this detail was silenced, the story was not very diffilcult to guess…

After some hours, I realised that Saari was very timorous and still very wild.
I therefore asked the owners of the lodge and they told me that they had left 3 months for Austria and that when they came back, Saari had become wild.
The hostess admitted that she had little time to take charge of Saari, although she seemed to be attached to her.
I therefore decided that my challenge would be that at the end of my stay, Saari would grant me enough trust to be allowed to be approached and stroked.

This mission lasted 12 days, the length of our stay.
I then began spending long hours with her, all day long, with always the same patience, the same passion, the same perseverance, without ever losing sight of my objective.
While I totally took advantage of these moments rich in emotions, I little by little became more attached to this girl for whom nature had chosen a different life…
I would have wanted these moments to last forever, I saw our relation progressing and strengthening day after day, it was the most beautiful dream of my life and I could touch it with the tip of my finger.

Together, we shared the taste of the play, this is how we managed to get closer, to tame each other, rely on each other and love each other... doubtlessly this is what I like to believe...
But hardly had our relation begun to build, that my departure got closer.
I could not refrain from thinking that I should leave her… And as nobody can do anything against time, the much dreaded day came.
I found myself crying like a child, all the tears of my heart, I could not leave her, I could not leave my dream, what future for Saari?
What would happen to her when I had left? So many questions still eat away at my spirit…

Once back in France, I took delight in her pictures, I reminded myself of those soft moments and memories and I pertinently know what a privileged person I am to have been able to live my dream …
Nevertheless, it was not enough, it was necessary for me to persevere, to give my participation to this fight for cheetah protection, but I did not yet know how to proceed …
Then I inquired, informed myself, I researched on the internet and these researches brought to me towards the CCF! I then began by making a donation, it was my way to give a remote contribution, to actively participate in this cause.
Christmas 2008 arrived and the question of presents also. I asked my circle of acquaintances to offer me a book on cheetahs.
This is how I was offered Sabine Bernert's book: "Rencontres Africaines". I was delighted in every page of this book and I had the following reflection: a person having so much sensibility in the way she presents things and her way of seeing the world couldn't only be a simple writer!

I therefore decided to get in touch with her. We wrote, spoke to each other, then met. She put me in touch with Olivier Houalet of "Amani".

I then decided to tell my story to Olivier who immediately suggested visiting Hochfeld to see how Saari was, but when he called the lodge and talked to the staff he was told that the owners were away (doubtlessly returned to Austria for some months) and that there was no cheetah at the Lodge!

At first, I felt like a dagger had sunk into my heart when Olivier repeated this to me, but I then remembered that the owners of the Lodge did not want people to know that they had a cheetah and that they had certainly given orders in this sense…
It was my only consolation, the only explanation that I could accept!

I then had an idea, I decided to get in touch with the French hunting guide who had taken us there! Doubtlessly he had returned there with other customers and he could certainly give me some news!

I therefore called him and he immediately reassured me on the condition of my feline girl, telling me that she was still there, still alive, and that she strolled freely around the Lodge… Which was not my relief to hear this.
I then repeated the news to Sabine and Olivier who were also relieved for her, and for me!

This trip changed me and has awakened in me a passion for wildlife, including the cheetah!
Africa has made me better and gave me the desire and motivation to make myself useful.
I intend very soon to return, visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund and meet Dr. Laurie Marker whose I told my story, but mostly meet again my Saari!
Vincent