Cheetah in the Backseat

Lucky Meets the New Golf GTD

Lucky meets the Gold GTD

Lucky the three-legged cheetah was once the star of a hugely successful TV commercial for the VW Golf. Ferdi de Vos takes a new GTD to N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary to introduce this famous wildcat to the latest Golf generation.

When Lucky met with this recently introduced GTD – essentially a diesel version of the hugely popular GTI – it brought together the fastest ever diesel-powered Golf and the fastest animal on the planet …

Lucky the Cheetah captured the hearts of South Africans in the Volkswagen Golf television commercial back in 2009. The TV ad told the touching story of the three-legged cheetah whose hind leg had to be amputated due to irreparable damage caused by a gin trap in which it had been caught.

Under the loving care and tuition of Marlice van Vuuren, co-founder of N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary, the three-legged cheetah learnt to move again, despite her injury. At the end of the advert, Lucky can be seen perched inside the fast-moving Golf, reliving and experiencing the thrill of speed. “Lucky was given a second chance, and her name reflects and embodies this,” Marlice explains. The interest generated by the commercial was enormous. Lucky’s story resonated with many, and she soon became the iconic symbol of never giving up and making the most of life.the advert also brought the plight of cheetahs to the attention of the public, and Lucky became an iconic ambassador cat, emphasizing the vulnerable status of her wild counterparts.

THE NEW GTD

With all this in mind, we decided on a road trip to N/a’an ku sê – a sanctuary primarily committed to relocating problem animals as an alternative to farmers shooting them – to introduce Lucky to the latest Golf “7.5”, the recently facelifted seventh generation of the iconic hatch.

The reunion was complete, but not long lived. Soon, she began to show as much interest in the soft Vienna leather-cladded seats of the GTD as she had to the titbits that had lured her there in the first place.

When Lucky met with this recently introduced GTD – essentially a diesel version of the hugely popular GTI – it brought together the fastest ever diesel-powered Golf and the fastest animal on the planet … The facelifted Golf has redesigned bumpers front and rear, new LED rear lamps and LED headlights, extended chrome striping front and rear, and new wheel designs. The GTD also receives GTI treatment with a sport suspension, bolstered sport seats, climate control, and 18-inch Sevilla alloy wheels. Our gunmetal grey model was kitted with options worth more than R76,000, including a panoramic sunroof, numerous safety systems, a radio and sat-nav featuring gesture control, and an upmarket Dynaudio sound system.

DASH UP THE N7

With our gear neatly stashed in the Golf’s 380-litre boot, we were ready for the first leg of our journey on the N7 from Capetown to the border post at Vioolsdrif.with 130 kw under foot, and a hefty 350 Nm of torque available from as low as 1,500 r/min, the GTD raced up the West Coast.we blurred past Clanwilliam, Klawer, and Vanrhynsdorp, crossed the Knersvlakte in a flash, and reached Springbok in time for tea.with its adaptable sport suspension, the Golf just loved the long sweeps descending into the arid Fish River Canyon towards Vioolsdrif. Border procedures were a breeze, and we were well on our way to Keetmanshoop by lunch time. Reaching Windhoek at sunset, we

negotiated some snaking dirt roads outside the capital before we arrived at the main gate of N/a’an ku sê. From here the gravel road really turned rough, forcing us to tippy-toe our way towards the imposing main building.

A TRUE SANCTUARY

We were met by a very surprised Colette Massier, our liaison at the sanctuary. She clearly did not expect us this early.

After a sumptuous supper, the engaging Colette showed us to our luxurious chalet, casually mentioning that this was the same abode in which Angelina Jolie and her children (and apparently Brad too, in happier times) slept when they visited N/a’an ku sê.

After a quick breakfast the next day, we joined Colette and some other guests for an early morning walk with the young cheetahs that were being rehabilitated at the sanctuary. It was an unbelievable experience walking with the lithe felines, and I was mesmerised by the nimbleness and gracefulness of their movements. Who could have guessed they purr much the same as a housecat?

Later, we were cordially received by Marlice, the original caregiver of Lucky, who showed us around the cages. Her passion for conservation was palpable and her compassion with the animals in her care so obvious it was slightly contagious.

She invited us to join a troop of young baboons on their daily outing, and this turned out to be a unique experience. While they quickly adapted to the females in our group, they were quite wary of the menfolk.however,by the end of the outing, I had a tough time convincing the youngster pretending to be asleep on my head to get off.

THE REUNION

It was time to visit Lucky, and en route to her large pen, Marlice filled us in on the eight years since hertv debut:“while Lucky does not have cubs of her own, she has intrinsic surrogate qualities, and we put this to good use during this period. She became a surrogate mum to many cheetah cubs and young cheetahs that came here due to various conflict situations,” she said. “Lucky brought a calming and nurturing presence looking after the often traumatised cubs, and some of them have since been released back into the wild.”

By now, we have reached the enclosure. After some coaxing, Lucky appeared, looking watchful and alert. Lucky was then lured to the Golf with some tasty titbits, and soon she was in the car with Marlice.the reunion was complete, but not long lived. Soon, she began to show as much interest in the soft Vienna leather-cladded seats of the GTD as she had to the titbits that had lured her there in the first place, and we had no choice but to let her out …

We finished our shoot with some of the younger cheetahs and rounded off an interesting and insightful day around a campfire, meeting and talking to some of the overseas volunteers doing internships at the sanctuary.

We left early the next morning, and reminiscing about our experiences at N/a’an ku sê while the Golf purred along like a content cheetah, the road to the Mother City felt much, much shorter. The only telltale signs left of the meeting between the GTD and Lucky was a few tufts of cheetah hair on the backseat. Oh, and a nice round tooth mark in the right rear headrest.