Victor, affectionately known as “Our Polka Dot Prince”, was the first cheetah that called Wild Wonders his forever home. He was born on July 20, 2006 at Anne Van Dyke Cheetah Centre outside of Pretoria, South Africa, and was transferred to “private school” at Cheetah Outreach in Cape Town. South Africa. He arrived in the states with his late pseudo-sibling Tango in 2007.
Victor was diminutive in size but enormous in personality and heart. His gentle soul was apparent in that he shared his habitat daily with bunnies, birds, and lizards, never giving chase. Victor’s soft, “pocket size purr” can calm the most hectic of days. Vic spent most afternoons surrounded by his adoring fans as he loved to be around people. Vic had a sweet nature, was gentle and tolerant. He inspired hundreds of people to care about the plight of his wild cousins and raised thousands of dollars to support those efforts. He was an ambassador in every sense of the word. Victor enamored and charmed all who met him.
We had to say goodbye to Victor on November 28, 2020. He left behind quite a legacy and Masika and Hasani, his cheetah companions at Wild Wonders.
If you are inspired by Victor’s story and want to help organizations dedicated to saving the 7,000 remaining cheetahs in the wild, consider donating to Cheetah Outreach or Cheetah Conservation Fund.