Matt and Charlie are brothers, part of a litter of seven that was born on October 21, 2005 in a special facility in South Africa. The facility breeds cheetahs for export as "ambassador cats," as well as for a program that re-introduces cheetahs into relatively safe areas where they will not have much interaction with humans. They came to Panther Ridge on December 19, 2007, following an all-night flight to Atlanta, a warm reception from the Delta employees, and a van ride to Florida.

The ambassador cat program is a critical part of worldwide efforts to save this endangered species. In the wild, sheep and goat farmers are fearful of cheetahs, and will not hesitate to trap, injure or kill them -- even if they have not attacked the farmers' animals. If conservation groups are notified, the trapped cheetahs can be rehabilitated and relocated. Some, however, are so badly hurt or traumatized that they must spend the rest of their lives in captivity. If they breed, the third generation is acceptable to the US Fish and Wildlife Service to be imported as ambassador cats.

Matt and Charlie are the products of just such a program. They were very carefully vetted to make sure that they were several generations removed from the wild.

At Panther Ridge, they live in an enormous 3-acre enclosure that was formerly a horse paddock and turnout area. They constantly delight visitors, who get a close-up view of the special attributes of these cats, the fastest mammals on earth. We at Panther Ridge encourage everyone to learn more about cheetahs and become involved in the valiant conservation effort to save these magnificent creatures, and all of the other endangered cats, from extinction.

See video footage and learn more about cheetahs