Man reunites with the cheetah he raised after nearly 3 years apart, and their heartwarming reunion proves he never forgot his favorite human
Becoming such good friends with a big cat is one of our biggest dreams.
I would like to preface this by saying: I actually like my job. Not everyone can say that, and I'm aware of that. I think my job is pretty cool. I get to cover stories about cats and put together silly cat meme collections all day long. Couldn't ask for much more than that. Or could I? Yes, I could. Watch me. Writing - that is something that I am qualified to do. I've got experience. At this point, I know all the cat puns. But there are job out there… that I would love to do that I just… can't.
Sign. Unfortunately, I do not have the qualifications to become a panda nanny. And that's sad. Because, as part of my job here, I have seen enough videos and pictures of pandas being goofy and silly to know what I'm missing out on. And no, I cannot be a wildlife photographer. Not qualified. Also, sitting outside all day sounds like a nightmare to me, and the only reason I would want to do this in the first place is so that I could make friends with some of the animals I photograph every once in a while. One of the most obscure jobs I would do anything for is being a shoebill keeper. The modern-day dinosaur? Yes, that thing. But not because I have a particular desire to take care of dinosaurs. More because sometimes they fall in love with their caretakers, and I need to feel that one day.
But if there is one thing - one job, one dream that I would drop my current cool job for in a heartbeat… it's raising cheetahs. Forgive me, boss, but I would. And I think he would understand me. Really, any big cat would do, but I do have a particular kind of love for cheetahs. Did you know that cheetahs are the only big cat that meows rather than roars? Did you know that cheetahs are the only big cat on record to have never fatally harmed a human? Did you know that they are one of the cutest animals in the whole wide world and that the bonds that they create with their human caretakers are extremely strong? Well, you're about to find out. And if you are anything like me, then you are about to be jealous.
This man, Dolph C. Volker, has my ultimate dream job. He raises cheetahs. From cubhood, he spends time with them, bonds with them, all in an effort to preserve the species. He gets the chance that the vast majority of us never will - to befriend cheetahs. But one of them in particular, Gabriel, he has bonded with more than any other. Or at least that is what he believed. Their friendship was put to a real test. Two and a half years of not seeing one another is a long time. We would be worried too. But there was nothing to worry about. Gabriel would never forget his favorite human.