It’s also great that the animal did not lunge at the photographer, phew!
Full-time wildlife photographer Casey Cooper was on another day at work taking images of different big cats and other animals in South Africa when he chanced upon a cheetah. Surprisingly, the cheetah actually approached him for a head rub when he took photos of the animal.
“I was surprised by how gentle and sweet the cheetah was. But she was a habituated cheetah that has been around humans a bit,” he explained. “But she is a big cat and you never know how they will react to your presence.”
According to Cooper, cheetahs are the “sweetest” of the big cats he worked with in his career. “They don’t see humans as prey but they can cause immense bodily harm and even death. After all, they are the fastest land animal and are very powerful,” Cooper added.
Their heartwarming interaction was posted on the photographer’s TikTok page, and viewers are already cooing at them. If dangerous, why friend-shaped, right?
Image credit: Casey Cooper