Is that a dog in the cheetah exhibit? Yes it is. Don’t worry, it’s supposed to be there.
Dogs and cats might be an unlikely duo, but it's one that works astonishingly well.
Cheetahs are known to be agile predators. In fact, their high running speed makes them the fastest land animal in the world. Because these big cats are built for flight rather than fight, they tend to be skittish by nature and are constantly on edge. This means that they are easily agitated in captivity and demand an abundance of energy and companionship that most zookeepers cannot give them. Given that they are sadly an endangered species, help was needed urgently. In comes the puppy to the rescue.
Rescue mutt puppies are oftentimes chosen for the task, but it’s sometimes delegated to labs or shepherds. The calm and tolerant nature of dogs as well as their ability to teach baby cheetahs social cues that would normally be learned from their mothers and siblings make dog companions valuable assets to zookeepers everywhere.
The first pairing of a cheetah and puppy was between Kumbali the cheetah and Kago the yellow Labrador Retriever puppy, who became like brothers at the Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia.
Word got out and inspired many other zoos to follow suit. It turns out a therapy puppy is just what the anxious little cheetah cub needs to alleviate stress, release and refocus their wild energy.
Aside from befriending cheetah cubs in zoos, dogs are helping preserve the wild cheetah population in parts of Africa as well. In a project by the Cheetah Conservation Fund, cheetah conservationists and communal farmers tried to come up with a solution to both protect livestock and preserve the local cheetah population. A solution came in the form of Anatolian shepherds and Kangal dogs, which were breeds trained to chase away cheetahs from the livestock herds so farmers wouldn't have to hurt cheetahs in order to protect their property.
Dogs already help humans with so many things, but it turns out that they can also help other animals. This proves that dogs are precious animals that are just all-around too good and pure for this world.