A Big Cat Experience

feeding time for cheetah

So with my last full day in Namibia, John and i splurge on a visit to Amani Lodge some 20kms south west of Windhoek, found off C26.

Chameleon Backpackers run tours here every afternoon (including champagne) for N$1025 per person. This seems really expensive as the cost from Amani is still expensive, but at N$440, much reduced. John and i will share a taxi ride, so we are reduce the costs dramatically.

Known as “The Big Cat Experience” it provides an opportunity to get up and personal with cheetah, lion and leopard.


The location is superb offering fine views over both Windhoek and the surrounding terrain. The tour begins at 2.30pm sharp, and Peter, our young guide for the day certainly knows his stuff.

All three of these big cats have their own large enclosure. Our first stop is a group of five cheetahs. The six travellists stand in a small wooden enclosure whilst Peter throws out chunks of meet just metres form where we stand. Sure enough, within moments, the cheetah come hungrily through the scrubland and pretty much ignore the presence of us humans and devour the offering.

tucking into a hunk of snack

Next up is a visit to the solitary leopard. We are warned he is very shy and hasn’t been seen for several days. We catch the fleetest of glimpses and swiftly disappears despite Peter’s meat temptations and leopard calls.

Our final stop is to visit the two lions. These resplendent beasts pay little attention to us as more meat is dispatched. The male takes the lion share before saving a few scraps for the female.

one hungry male

the female lioness

Come sunset and we return to the lodge for champagne and are given a glimpse of two more cheetah, one a four month old wild and very frisky cub and a large female known as the Teddy Bear – a very much domesticated cat indeed.