The Freak Show.

𝔑𝔬𝔠𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔫𝔞𝔩 𝔠𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔢🦇

Perpetua in all his beauty. I imagined him covering his body with his translucent wings🦇

He was originally meant to be lying down with a more elongated pose, but I couldn’t quite make it work.

Obvious disclaimer that you shouldn't have wild animals as pets.

But like, cheetahs are the only large cats that keepers will do free contact with. Hell, even most small cats don't get free contact. (Because small cats can be VICIOUS. They'll have a baby pallas cat wearing thicker gloves than when handling an owl. Because small cats can just be vicious.)

Like I think the only other cat at our zoo where I've seen free contact with was servals? Because I know they've used servals in shows to demonstrate their natural jumping ability. But I know servals can sometimes have a mean temper as well. Meanwhile they'll do the cheetah run and afterwards put the mic by the cheetahs and it's just like an engine with them purring. It's fascinating to watch when the message in every other large animal is "no free contact because it's dangerous even when they're born in captivity".

#im sorry but im cackling at the thought of telling a cat "hey whats in your mouth?" and have to chase The Fastest Land Mammal On Earth

You WILL love this person. It doesn't matter who you loved before; any feelings you had, any promises you made, they will become inconsequential as soon as you lock eyes with the stranger Fate has picked for you.

There's no way to stop it.

There's no way to say "no."

You will meet someone and with a single glance, both of you will become someone new, someone who's now bound to this stranger whether you like it or not, want it or not.