African Cheetah Visits Laguna Home

Purring with contentment, Victor the cheetah bent his head down to get his ears rubbed by Laurie Marker, co-founder and executive director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

The big cat was guest of honor Saturday at the Laguna Beach home of Emanuele and Alison Ravano, members of the fund's board of trustees. Accompanied by Marker, the cheetah held court at the house as part of a wildlife fundraiser.

Born in South Africa, the 5-year-old feline was originally taken in by a group called Cheetah Outreach at age 2 weeks, after his mother killed another cub in the litter.

Victor now lives in San Diego, working as one of 150 animal ambassadors for Wild Wonders, which sends critters to corporate shindigs, birthday parties and other events to educate the public.

At Saturday's poolside soiree, the Ravanos and their guests stood 6 feet from the sleek cat while Marker and Jackie Navarro of Wild Wonders answered cheetah-related questions.

A century ago, an estimated 100,000 or more cheetahs roamed from western Africa to India. Today, 10,000 remain.

According to CCF's website, the population declined because of "inbreeding, high infant mortality, loss of habitat, a reduction in its prey base, conflicts with livestock farming, and a reduced ability to survive in parks and reserves due to the presence of larger predators."

Marker has spent more than 20 years in Namibia, trying to reverse the trend.

"We can help humans understand not to be afraid and ... learn to live in harmony with these predators," she said.

The effort is paying off, according to CCF's website, which says the cheetah population in Namibia has stabilized in recent years. "Our Namibian program is really a model for predator conservation worldwide," Marker said.

Steve O'Brien, CCF USA’s chairman, agreed, saying Marker's campaign has reached thousands of people and spurred Namibia "to embrace the cheetah as something very special."

Saturday's $125-per-person party and auction raised more than $10,000 for the Cheetah Conservation Fund, officials said. To find out more about CCF, see Victor when he visits other cities or donate, CLICK HERE.