Wgtn Zoo happy with cheetah programme 

Wellington Zoo won't be making any changes to its programme which lets visitors get up close and personal with cheetahs.

Dalu Mncube was mauled to death by a tiger at Zion Wildlife Gardens in Whangarei this week.

Wellington Zoo runs a close encounter programme where visitors can touch and stroke a harnessed cheetah.

General manager Mauritz Basson says cheetahs are the downgraded, hormone-less version of big cats and he is comfortable visitors are safe.

He says Wellington Zoo's cheetahs are hand reared in Africa especially for the programme and the zoo is confident its cheetah handlers are completely prepared to deal with any adverse situation.

He says all of them have passed a test where they have to manhandle the cheetah and push it to the ground to avoid it lashing out.

Basson says they have never had an incident at the zoo where anyone has been in danger.

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