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Willow was born on 1 July 2017 at Wingham Wildlife Park near Canterbury. Her parents are Kikay who resides at Wingham and her father was our own handsome boy Bajrami.
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Willow was born as part of the co-ordinated breeding programme to help maintain genetic diversity within the captive population.
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Willow's favourite toy is "Dolly", her cheetah soft toy (in fact there are several of them!) She still plays with them as an adult!
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This photo depicts Willow's personality so well - she is such a happy and content young lady, and we're hoping that one day she will have cubs of her own.
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Willow has the loudest purr! She is known to purr as soon as she spots people approaching her enclosure. It's the cutest thing!
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Willow starred in the BBC documentary series Big Cats About The House alongside Maya the Jaguar
Willow is the daughter of our own Bajrami (who passed away in February 2022) and Kikay at Wingham Wildlife Park. She was bred as part of the co-ordinated breeding programme.
She arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in 2017 after being injured whilst in her enclosure with her two brothers. A decision was taken by the team at Wingham that having all three cubs back with mum could be hazardous as Kikay might be overly protective of Willow due to her injury, and potentially harm the two male cubs.
Willow had physically recovered from her fractured front paw by the time she arrived at the Sanctuary – it was a few confidence issues and familiarisation that needed attention.
Willow has a breeding recommendation with our two cheetah brothers Mo and Bolt – whichever of them she likes the most!
Adopt WillowIt wasn’t long before Willow’s cheeky nature but gentle nature shone through with her keeper carers. In no time at all Willow was enjoying lots of playtime.
Willow is a very content cat with the loudest purr – she really does win the heart of all who are lucky enough to get the opportunity to meet her and hear her motor-like purring. She is an excellent ambassador for her species and it is hoped that, being born into the co-ordinated breeding programme, and with the arrival of suitors Mo and Bolt, she will one day become a mother herself.
Adopt WillowThe cheetah is the planet’s fastest land animal, capable of reaching speeds of up to 68mph with a stride of seven metres. However, it is also Africa’s most endangered wild cat. There are estimated to be only seven thousand cheetahs left in the wild today.
Cheetahs have a narrow and lightweight body, long slender limbs, and a coat covered in single spotted markings. With their distinctive tear-drop facial markings, the cheetah is one of the most easily identifiable cats.
Their ability to run so fast can only be maintained for a short period of time. Adaptations which help cheetahs to run at these speeds include a flexible spine and tail, which flattens at the tip to provide a counter balance for sudden changes in direction, acting like a rudder). Their hard footpads and semi-retractable blunt claws help them to grip the ground, similar to how a sprinter’s running spikes help them to increase speed.
Adopt WillowThe future of this magnificent species remains uncertain across their range. Extinct in 25 countries and possibly extinct in a further 13 countries, cheetahs have vanished from approximately 91 percent of their historic range. They are extinct in Asia apart from a single, isolated population of perhaps 50 individuals in central Iran. Cheetahs are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
Cheetah have larger litters of cubs than many other species, which may be due to the high mortality rate of cubs in their habitats. They are never at the top of the food chain within their range, so these cats are more passive and much more likely to walk away from confrontation than to fight. These agile cats hunt during the day to avoid competition from other powerful predators such as lions, hyenas and leopards. Their tear marks absorb light to protect their eyes from the sun’s glare in exactly the same way as wearing a pair of shades! Cheetahs prey on rabbits, warthogs, springboks, gazelles and birds.
Adopt Willow