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Annie gets some exercise and shows off her speed, chasing a ‘kong’ at the end of a long tether in their enclosure. Cheetahs are the fastest animal on Earth and can accelerate to 70 mph in less than three seconds. Continued from page 11 “Cheetahs are an odd mix of prey and predator.” While we associate ferocity with “big cats,” the cheetah has teeth no larger than a medium-sized dog, and dull claws inca- pable of tearing prey as a lion would. “Their strength is speed and agility, but they’re horrible at everything else,” says Earl with a chuckle. “The cheetahs’ sense of smell is poor, their eyesight good only for distance, and as you've seen, they’re clumsy. (Robin, climbing a fallen tree to our platform, has taken a humiliating spill while we've spoken.) They do have excellent hearing and of course, blinding speed. They’re wonderfully engineered for that and it serves them well for both hunting and escaping hunters.” The fastest animal on Earth, cheetahs can accelerate to 70 miles per hour in less than three seconds. The mechanics behind this incredible gift are easily seen in the lounging Annie. Her frame is long and lean, as are her muscular legs, which end in surprisingly large feet. Her tail — flat, long, and heavy — also plays a pivotal role, Carol says. “That tail’s her rudder. It whips around wildly when she runs, and allows her to change direction on a dime without los- ing momentum.” Bringing the two animals to Scugog certainly didn’t happen at cheetah-like speed. The process, which Earl describes as “a march through Hell,” was lengthy and challenging. There was also substantial cost, not only to acquire a pair of cheetahs, but tend to their ongoing veterinary needs. Ear] and Carol have spent eight hours a day “socializing” the cats since their arrival. “It's a sizeable commitment,” Carol says. “But these two are magic. That's our reward.” “There's been an evolution. They were skittish at first. But we've progressively exposed them to situations so they're com- 12 FOCUS - OCTOBER 2013 fortable and unafraid. We've learned they’re usually not bothered by man-made sounds, like an airplane flying by, but if you scuffed your feet across the ground, they’d be instantly on alert.” Earl and Carol are also hoping for an assist from another four-legged friend, their golden retriever, Buddy. ‘Dogs can provide ‘social markers’ for wild animals. If the dog’s not frightened by a sound or action, the cheetahs will pick up on that cue, So far, we've had limited success: Anni Robin have bonded, so Buddy's ignored asa third-wheel.” The ultimate goal of socialization — the pro- gram still has months to go — is a four-pronged strategy aimed at raising awareness as well as dollars in aid of the cheetahs’ plight. Cad While on assignment interviewing Earl and Carol, Annie took a liking to Focus writer Scott Mercer.