Boumani, the beast of Essex strikes fear into rabbits

A captive cheetah that can run at up to 60mph is being secretly trained to hunt for its food in the English countryside — as part of a plan to release its offspring into the wild. Boumani, a two-year-old male reared by humans from birth, has been allowed to chase rabbits in an eight-acre Essex field surrounded by a 6½ft fence. Its owners, who run a wildlife park, hope Boumani will eventually teach his cubs how to catch their own prey and prepare for a new life on the plains of Africa.

The venture exploits a loophole in hunting legislation. Pro-hunting campaigners, who want a hare-coursing ban lifted, claim the laws are “a mess”. While it is forbidden for dogs to pursue hares, the legislation makes no mention of cats. “It is fantastic exercise and stimulation for the cheetah and it teaches him to hunt,” said Jonny Ames, whose family runs the Eagle Heights wildlife park near Dartford, Kent. “We will need to repeat this every couple of weeks or so. When we breed from Boumani he will hopefully teach the cubs to hunt, so we can release them into the wild in Africa. Even if he can’t teach the cubs, we will by then know how best to teach them ourselves.”



The transportation of “dangerous wild animals” in Britain is tightly restricted, but they can be moved for filming purposes — as long as they are kept within an enclosed area. The field in which Boumani was set loose was surrounded by a mesh fence with holes that allow small creatures, such as rabbits, to pass through. Experts say it could be illegal for animals to hunt “captive” prey.

The cheetah was released into the field through a camouflaged gate in the evening (the time that rabbits come out to feed on grass). After familiarising himself with the territory, Boumani began to scent the rabbits and gave chase. The exercise was repeated last week and although the cheetah has yet to kill a rabbit, he ate a dead one he was given. Rabbits are not Boumani’s ideal prey, as they are a bit small and hard for him to see,” said Ames. “Hare or deer would be better, but they wouldn’t be able to escape through the fence.”

With video.