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Ordinary Traveler / Blog / Photography Posts / Photo Essay: Love, It Can Be Spotty

Photo Essay: Love, It Can Be Spotty

By Christy Woodrow, Last Modified: May 1, 2019

Photo Essay: Love, It Can Be Spotty
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One of my favorite parts of the San Diego Safari Park, formerly known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park, was hangin’ with the cheetahs. For some reason I’m drawn to big cats, maybe it has something to do with being a Leo or possibly the fact that cats are just really cute.

 

Photo Essay: Love, It Can Be Spotty

 

Photo Essay: Love, It Can Be Spotty

 

I was a little bummed to find out that the lions were not around on this trip, the park was in the process of building them a bigger and better space, so I was happy to find these two cheetahs enjoying the sunshine that day.

Photo Essay: Love, It Can Be Spotty

 

It made me feel at ease to see these cheetahs so happy in their environment. There is only one other place besides the Wild Animal Park where I have felt like the animals are really well cared for and it shows.

Photo Essay: Love, It Can Be Spotty

 

I think this is attributed to the fact that the big animals have a lot of room to roam around instead of tiny little cages. The fence on this cheetah enclosure did not look very high. I wouldn’t be surprised if these cheetahs could get out if they really wanted to.

Photo Essay: Love, It Can Be Spotty

 

It’s really hard to know how animals are feeling, but I think you can usually get a sense about whether they are satisfied with their environment and more importantly that they feel safe.

We write posts on our site about animal cruelty, such as the elephants in Chitwan, Nepal and the dolphin slaughters in Japan, so instead of always focusing on the negative, I wanted to highlight a place that we feel is doing a good job with animals.

You may be thinking it’s cruel to cage animals no matter how big the cage is, but the reality of it is that our wilderness areas are rapidly becoming filled with humans, homes, shopping malls and whatever else our heart’s desire.

National Parks around the world that provide a safe haven for animals have boundaries as well. It may be a fence or it could be a town with people who would not take kindly to a large, potentially dangerous, wild animal roaming around.

I think it’s important to recognize the places that are doing a positive thing. In addition to making sure these animals are happy and have plenty of space, this park is dedicated to preserving and protecting rare and endangered wildlife and habitats.

Now, how can that be bad?

 

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About Christy Woodrow

Christy Woodrow is a travel photographer and professional blogger based in San Diego. She has been traveling around the world with her partner, Scott, since 2006. Join them in their quest to find off-the-beaten-path destinations by signing up for weekly emails. You can read more about her on our about page.

Filed Under: Photography Posts

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Timmy says

    It’s so great that there are sanctuaries for animals such as this one! The photo is mesmerizing!

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      Thanks for the comment, Timmy! Glad you like the photos. They are super cute, aren’t they? 🙂

      Reply
  2. Mack Reynolds says

    Cheetahs are fast, efficient killers. I love how they appear to be like regular old kittehs, just chillin. That’s cool.

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      They look really sweet in these photos. When we were at the Australia Zoo we saw a few tourists petting the cheetahs. Maybe they really are sweet. 🙂

      Reply
  3. cancernurse2 says

    Beautiful pictures. Can’t wait to see more. 

    Reply
  4. cancernurse2 says

    Beautiful pictures. Can’t wait to see more. 

    Reply
  5. Andrea and John says

    Awww – so cute! I don’t think I’ve ever seen two together up close – most zoos and parks I’ve been to only have one

    Reply
  6. Technosyncratic says

    Oh my goodness, these photos make me warm and fuzzy inside!  The pictures where one is licking the other are just too unbearably cute.

    And I’ve always been really uncomfortable with zoos (and usually avoid visiting them), but I think you do a good job of illustrating the positive aspects.  I’ll try to focus on those parts in the future.  =)

    Reply
  7. Faith says

    I love when cats look like royalty, and the third picture here is the perfect example of that!

    Reply
  8. Raymond @ Man On The Lam says

    Awww…very cute!

    Reply
  9. Sherry says

    I’m so glad to know that the kitties are well cared for enough that they are happy in their artificial environment. These are awfully cute photos of such marvelous animals! One cat likes to lick, and the other likes being licked; its a great partnership. 

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      Haha. It IS a great partnership, isn’t it?!

      Reply
  10. Jade says

    Adorable- the first one looks like a valentine’s day card!

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      Haha. Good call. I wonder what the card would say… “Spend some time licking each other this Valentine’s Day!”

      Reply
  11. Nomadic Samuel says

    These are lovely shots 🙂  Especially the ones of them licking each other 🙂

    Reply
  12. Peter Heck says

    Kitty porn! 🙂

    Reply
  13. Nancie says

    Lovely shots. They really are gorgeous. I love the markings on their faces. Thanks for posting to Travel Photo Thursday. 

    Reply
  14. Stephanie - The Travel Chica says

    So cute!  And good to hear this place is a safe haven for the animals.

    Reply
  15. Abby says

    These pictures are so beautiful. Such personality! I’m partial to that first one. So sweet! Yes, it is great how much some zoos do to protect wild animals. The people who work in those places care so much for these causes. I know I’ve commented before about being traumatized by a foreign zoo. It really makes you appreciate conservation.

    Reply
  16. Natalie says

    Zoos are changing and becoming a thing of the past. Great to see that they are moving with the times. The cheetahs look so happy. 

    Reply
  17. Reserve123 says

    Adorable pictures of cheetahs. I don’t like going to zoos for the very reason you mentioned in your post, but you brought up good points. Thanks for the post and again, those pictures are too cute. Especially with the one with his eyes closed! 

    – Kristina 

    Reply

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Welcome to our adventure travel blog! We are Christy and Scott and we've been traveling the world together since 2006. Our goal is to inspire others to live an adventurous life, as well as provide trip ideas and helpful travel tips for people with limited vacation time.
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