• DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Why not? Cheetahs are not viscous and they’re more afraid of us than we should be of them. Cheetahs have evolved to chase down smaller animals in the flatlands and outrun predators, they have light bones to help with their speed that also make them fairly fragile.

    Also because of cheetahs being pack animals they’ve been known to have a disposition very similar to dogs and are often paired with dogs in zoos and sanctuaries, and they are a strong candidate for domestication based on their temperament and pack mentality, however the much more dangerous Hyenas are further along in the domestication process as they have been semi-domesticated going back to the Egyptian empire.

    Cheetahs are pretty awesome animals.

    • UnculturedSwine@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      She is still a wild animal that has the capacity to kill any human that gets too close to her cubs. I imagine she would defend her cubs more fiercely than buffalo carrion.

      • DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        There is no record of a cheetah ever killing a human, they are not even brave enough to do more than scavenge after us, sure maybe it’s not a good idea to approach a pack of cheetahs with the intention of bothering one of their kittens, but that’s literally any animal, including dogs.

        Your fears are completely unfounded, cheetahs are literally the biggest cat that still mews and can’t roar.

    • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Got a cat?

      They have expressions that humans can read. The stare, dilated pupils, ears partly back all seem to me to be a “FAFO” look, especially seeing as its momma with cubs. If I was super-familiar with this cat maybe I could read it differently, but I wouldn’t touch this kitty right now.

      • DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Domestic cats are more akin to tigers than cheetahs, or even lions, since domestic kitties aren’t pack animals.

        So sure they can give you the “FAFO” face, but with their light bones, anxiety, innate fear of humanity, and disposition to flight rather than fight, most likely the cheetah will just look at you all pissed off until you go away, even with their kitten in hand. The only thing that might change that is if their pack is around, and even then most like the pack will say “fuck these kids, not worth pissing off a human” and nope the fuck out as a pack.

    • Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      Yeah, this is right.

      I def wouldn’t just go in there bcs that would be way too much stress on something so fragile as a cheetah (or actually any cat), but I don’t really see a cheetah killing a human without very strong/desperate need of food, and even that is a stretch.