![\"Dolph](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dolph-volker-woke-from-a-nap-at-a-south-africa-sanctuary-to-find-cheetah-eden-resting-against-him.jp.jpeg\")
Dolph Volker woke from a nap at a South Africa sanctuary to find cheetah Eden resting against him in a documented video encounter. Image credit: YouTube\/Dolph C Volker<\/p>\nDolph Volker, a wildlife photographer and volunteer at Cheetah Experience in South Africa, woke from a nap to find a cheetah named Eden resting against him. The encounter, which Volker documented in a widely shared video, occurred during his time working with the endangered species at the sanctuary outside Bloemfontein.<\/p>\n
Eden is a captive cheetah at Cheetah Experience who serves as a companion to Faith, a disabled cheetah that developed spinal meningitis as a cub. The sanctuary houses lions, leopards, servals, and cheetahs rescued from threats including poaching and habitat loss. Volker had been volunteering there since 2014 after the death of his dog shifted his focus toward animal advocacy.<\/p>\n
The video footage shows Eden nuzzling against Volker, licking his face, and eventually settling beside him. In his own description accompanying the YouTube upload, Volker noted that the cheetah groomed him as she would another cheetah.<\/p>\n
Dolph Volker woke from a nap at a South Africa sanctuary to find cheetah Eden resting against him in a documented video encounter. Image credit: YouTube\/Dolph C Volker<\/p>\n
\u201cTrue to Eden\u2019s nature, she warmed up to me in days and ended up really liking me, so much so that I was able to trust her completely,\u201d Volker wrote in the video description. \u201cThe more she felt comfortable with me, the more she treated me just like another Cheetah which included the grooming, nibbling, biting, pacifying, purring, laying on me, and sleeping.\u201d<\/p>\n
Volker also acknowledged that the interaction came with minor physical consequences. Eden\u2019s grooming included nibbling that drew small amounts of blood on his face, lips, chin, and ears. He described this as part of the bonding process, comparing it to how a domestic dog learns bite inhibition.<\/p>\n
The cheetah involved, Eden, is not part of Cheetah Experience\u2019s breeding program because of her role supporting Faith. Volker expressed hope in his video notes that Eden might eventually have cubs, citing her healthy condition and gentle temperament. Sanctuary staff had observed Eden stalking young children through enclosure fencing during tours, a behavior Volker described as a display of predator instinct despite her otherwise friendly disposition toward adult volunteers.<\/p>\n
A Companion Animal with a Specific Role<\/p>\n
Eden\u2019s daily life at Cheetah Experience differs from that of other cheetahs at the facility. She lives with Faith, whose spinal meningitis affected her physical and cognitive development<\/a> as a cub. Eden functions as what Volker called a \u201cservice therapy Cheetah\u201d for her enclosure mate.<\/p>\n Staff at the sanctuary made the decision to keep the pair together rather than move Eden into the breeding program. The arrangement means Eden will not produce cubs while she remains with Faith. Volker noted in his video description that he believed Eden would make \u201ca superb mother\u201d based on her patience and gentle interactions.<\/p>\n The video footage Volker captured runs approximately 14 minutes and shows extended periods of Eden resting with him inside the cheetah enclosure. He filmed multiple overnight sessions, bringing blankets and a pillow into the concrete sleeping box inside the enclosure. The footage from these nights includes Eden purring, a sound Volker described as \u201chypnotizing\u201d and more pronounced than what he had heard from any domestic cat. The full encounter is documented in his YouTube video<\/a> from July 2015.<\/p>\n Trust Built Through Repeated Contact<\/p>\n Volker first met Eden during the summer of 2014 but did not spend significant time with her until the following year. During his 2015 volunteer period, he visited her enclosure regularly, and she began to recognize and accept him over a period of days.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t possibly bond so soon with a lion, leopard, tiger, or puma,\u201d Volker wrote. He noted that cheetahs appeared more receptive to forming connections with humans than other large cat species he had encountered.<\/p>\n The behavior Eden displayed toward Volker mirrors social grooming observed between bonded cheetahs in captivity. In the footage, she alternates between licking his face, nibbling on his ears and chin, and resting her head on his shoulder. When Volker remained still, Eden settled against him and appeared to fall asleep.<\/p>\n Volker emphasized that Eden showed similar warmth toward other people who allowed her to approach on her own terms. \u201cThere is no one she won\u2019t like,\u201d he wrote. \u201cThe more you encounter her, the more relaxed she gets and the more she trusts you.\u201d<\/p>\n Documentation for Conservation Education<\/p>\n![\"Eden](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/eden-serves-as-a-therapy-companion-to-faith.jpg\")
Eden serves as a therapy companion to Faith, a disabled cheetah, which keeps her out of the sanctuary\u2019s breeding program. Image credit: YouTube\/Dolph C Volker<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/i.ndtvimg.com\/i\/2015-09\/cheetah-tongue_650x350_71442828308.JPG\")
It\u2019s really not like having a house cat lick your hand. Image credit: YouTube\/Dolph C Volker<\/p>\n