Cheetah Fast & Wild Coming to CBC & CBC Gem

Fast Cat Films has announced that the documentary Cheetah Fast & Wild will debut as part of The Nature of Things on CBC and CBC Gem on April 2.

Cheetah Fast & Wild is produced by Fast Cat Films and directed, written and produced by Joe Kennedy. In the documentary, two cheetah cubs, Lilly and Iris, are raised in captivity after lions kill their mother. When it comes time for them to have a chance to live in the wild, they just need to learn to hunt. The documentary follows the sisters as they face the challenges of learning to live as wild cheetahs.

The supervising producer was Jeff Morales, and the project was composed by Robert Neufeld. Cheetah Fast & Wild is hosted by Anthony Morgan and features Marna Smit, director of the Ashia Cheetah Conservation, Alex Landman, wildlife monitor at Botlierskop Private Game Reserve and Sian Green, head guide at the Sanbona Wildlife Reserve.

“When they were first released into the wilding camp, these sisters didn’t know a rhino from a zebra, from an impala—so they chased them all,” said Kennedy. “They almost lost their lives their first day. It was fascinating following them for three months and watching them learn a little bit every day on how to be a successful hunter. The secret is the Wilding Camp, where they can live wild, but get support from people if needed. Until Ashia began just a few years ago, experts had tried releasing captive-raised cheetahs before, but almost all attempts failed. Capturing this process on camera is a world first.”