Tenikwa has some guidelines and policies to ensure that your visit is enjoyable, safe and that the animals you will see continue to be trusting of humans.  We don’t want to make the rules onerous, but at the same time, wild animals, no matter how tame, are still wild animals.

Indemnity

Each adult (persons over 16 years of age) will be required to read and sign an Indemnity before partaking in any activity at Tenikwa. Parents and Adults responsible for minors (persons 16 and under 16 years of age) will be required to read and sign an Indemnity on behalf of the minor and will be responsible for the minor and the minor’s behaviour whilst at the facility.  Educators and persons co-ordinating tours for minors will be responsible for signing the indemnity on behalf of the minors in their care.

Safety

A safe experience is paramount at Tenikwa.  We will not compromise our safety protocol under any circumstances if by doing so, we place you or our cats in an unsafe situation.

No visitors will be allowed to visit the animals unless they are part of the guided tour and accompanied by a Tenikwa guide.  The visitor may have the option to remain outside the enclosure, if they feel anxious about the experience and the guide will do his/her best to accommodate the visitors who remain outside the enclosure, bearing in mind, that it may not be possible to view the animals if the animals do not come forward to the entrance. At times, due to hormonal influences in the cats, the guide may deem it unsafe to enter a particular enclosure with the visitors and we ask that you respect the guide’s judgement in this regard, since we are dealing with animals who may become unpredictable at certain times of their breeding cycles.

Children

The Wild Cat Experience is suitable for all ages. Babies who cry during the tour do upset the cats and we request that if the infant continues to cry, that the mother and infant return to the centre and complete the tour when the infant has settled down. Prams cannot be taken into the enclosures. Infants can be carried in backpacks (Not provided). Children under 6 may need to be carried in their parent’s arms in some of the enclosures. The guide’s discretion will determine whether it is safe for children to enter some enclosures and what level of interaction is allowed.  Parents must please ensure that children do not run, crouch down, lie or sit on the ground when in or near the enclosures. Minors must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardian on any of the tours.

The Sunrise and Sunset Cheetah walk has a minimum age recommendation of 12 years old and/or a height restriction of over 1.3m.    Although infants can be taken on the cheetah walk if carried in a backpack (not provided), it is not recommended since the distance of the walk can be up to 3 kms, and at times, it may be at a fast pace if the cheetahs wan to run. Minors under 16 years of age on any Cheetah Walk program must be accompanied by at least 1 related adult (per 3 children) who takes responsibility for them on the walk.  Children can get over-excited on the Cheetah Walk and we request that parents pay particular attention to this, because an over-active or excited child will draw the attention of the cheetah and the situation may become unsafe.

Clothing

Sturdy walking shoes are recommended for all programs.  It is possible to do the Wild Cat Experience in casual shoes, but the terrain on the Cheetah Walks require sturdy walking shoes, and for your safety, these shoes should be closed and not of a sandal-type.  Muted colour clothing is always advisable. Long trousers are recommended for all Cheetah Walk programs.  It is advisable to put sunglasses in a safe place during the Cheetah Walk programs, because they may get lost during the way. Bare legs are not permissable on the cheetah walk, because we will be walking in areas where the path is narrow and you may get scratched.

Photography

Photographing your experience is welcomed, however we would like you to take away more than just a digital memory so please do not allow your camera to dominate your experience.  See these beautiful creatures with your own eyes.  There are a few guidelines on photographic etiquette that we wish to bring to your attention :

• No flash photography is allowed.
• The animals will not be posed, restrained in any way, or forced to behave in an unnatural way for photographs.
• Cameras are not to be shoved in the face of the animal if it approaches you.
• No disrespectful poses or hand-signs will be tolerated in a photograph.
• If someone is taking a picture of you in close proximity to the animal, you may not restrain the animal to get the photo.
• The guide is there to provide knowledge and ensure your safety.  He/She is not there to take photographs and is not allowed to move back out of the picture frame as he will not be in a position to intervene if an unsafe situation presents itself.
• Camera straps must be held and not left dangling, as this may encourage the cat to play with the strap.
• Camera bags and backpacks may not be put on the ground in the enclosure and it is preferred that they remain outside the enclosure.
• Do not approach the animals directly, crouching down with your camera.  This may be seen as confrontational behaviour.
• Do not stray from the group whilst taking photographs in the enclosure.
• It is not safe for very small infants to be in close proximity to the animals, so parents, please do not place your child in a risk position, just to get a photograph.

We have a daily photographic tour available which is aimed at amateur or semi-professional photographers.  If your main purpose for visiting Tenikwa is to get photographs, please consider joining this tour instead of the normal Wild Cat Experience.

It is a great privilege to be able to get so close to these animals.  Please do not spoil it for others and make our animals afraid of humans, just so that you can get your shot.

Contact and Interaction

The animals at Tenikwa are unrestrained and whilst we use close interaction with them to instill a sense of empathy, using all our senses, it is not appropriate or fair on the cats to allow physical contact with every single guest on the Wild Cat Experience.  Please respect this and enjoy the whole experience of visiting Tenikwa. The animals will sometimes come up and initiate contact of their own accord.  Beforehand, the guide will explain how you are to behave in this regard. No animals will be posed or restrained in order to get a photograph. At times of the day, the cats are more active (morning, late afternoon).  If the cats are sleeping, this is natural behaviour, and it would be invasive to disrupt a midday snooze.  The guide will determine whether it is safe to approach the animals based on an assessment of the people and the animal’s behaviour, please respect his/her judgement - they work with the animals every day, and know each animal intimately.    The Cheetah Walk program affords a high level of interaction because of the fact that a small number of guests accompany the cheetahs, and also because you are walking right next to them for 1 ½ hours, so you get to spend some really close, quality time with them.

Tipping

Tipping or rewarding your guide is not something that is expected, but if you had a safe and informative tour, the guides do appreciate a small token.  If you feel that your guide placed anyone in the party in an unsafe position in order to get a tip, please report it to reception.

Animals in Captivity

In accordance with Cape Nature regulations, no animals under rehabilitation may be exposed to the public, as this reduces their chances of being returned to the wild.  We therefore use captive-bred animals in the Awareness Centre for our community awareness program.  These animals are born and raised in captivity, are imprinted, and are not suitable for release.  They are sourced from approved breeding programs with sound conservation ethics.  We do not breed or trade with animals for commercial purposes.  All animals and birds which are brought to our rehabilitation centre are raised with the sole purpose of return to the wild.  If this is not feasible, a long-term care, or sanctuary will be found for them. In accordance with our rehabilitation permit, birds and animals accepted into our rehabilitation centre may only stay 3 months before being released or re-assessed.

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