I took this off a beautiful photo done by New Zealand Photographer Helen Robertson of my favourite cheetah Kenya. I started this some weeks ago, but with things in my life getting in the way I wasn't able to spend the time I wanted to finish it. Kenya resides at Zion Wildlife Gardens in Kamo Whangarei. There's a sadder side now to all of this. Several weeks ago the park was placed into receivership and one part of the park now placed into liquidation. Some who read this may be aware of the TV series the Lion Man. It showed a man playing with big cats and seemingly all was well and happy. Sadly it is not all well and and happy. Some years back the park was in financial trouble. Around 2006 the Lion Man's Mum bailed him out and it was hoped they could work together. Sadly it didn't work out. They parted ways and things have the been the subject of court battles and controversy ever since. The Lion Man's Mum was left with the debts to pay and now she faces, just like the beautiful big cats in her and her team's care a very uncertain future. It's heartbreaking to see. It's too long a story to write about on this blog post. It's a sad legacy of which I've witnessed first hand. I've had the privilege of having 36 big cats as part of my life and that of my families'. Now that could all end forever. In my mind the legacy I don't want to see are a few digital images and old videos of what once was.
