I'm sure that figures into it. That and patience, wisdom, and understanding how to relate to them in their way. It takes alot of time unless they're tiny cubs.

One video showed him feeding an adult and he threw down some meat and made a dash to the gate because the cheetah was on it in an instant they're so quick! And it would have been very dangerous to be close to the cheetah's food. lol.

Later they showed him close to one of his cheetah friends who was eating and he just started to move his arm in the direction of the bowl and the cheetah growled and Dolph moved his arm back and said "I get it." lol.

He classifies them as being "half tame." So this is not something for the average, untrained person to take on.