Carl managed to time things so he hit the cheetah area last. The sun had just slid down behind the mountains to the west. Would he encounter the mysterious man again? Not sure whether he wanted to or not, he prowled along the fence, moving at a slow pace. He peered into the enclosure often, whenever there was a view past the trees, tall grass and artificial hills and boulders. Although he glimpsed others of the cheetah pride, he did not see the one male. A female with two cubs was teaching her babies hunting skills. The caretakers released rabbits every evening to let the cheetahs get some of their own food in a natural way. As Carl watched, the mother made a dash for a rabbit. The little critter didn't have a chance. She could go from zero to sixty miles per hour in a couple of seconds. Although the rabbit could dodge, this one was caught in the open and just ran. It was over in a heartbeat. Mama and babies gulped the fresh meat. Although Carl felt a twinge of sympathy for the prey, he knew this was a natural thing, and although rabbits might not be the normal source of four-footed food for the cats, they served the purpose here.
