Dubai:
Ever since he tamed a cheetah in Bahrain last year, an animal trainer from India has become a much sought-after name in the Gulf countries for taming wild beasts.
"I am flooded with offers from Oman. I have already received orders to train five cheetahs and four leopards," Christo Babu, a graduate in business management, said.
His ability to tame fierce animals into exotic pets for his clients has earned the 32-year-old Kerala-resident the nickname of 'Wolf', the Times of Oman reported.
His legend travelled far and wide after 'Wolf' was taken to Bahrain by a member of the Royal family who had rehabilitated a four-year-old cheetah from an African country. "Altogether, I have got nine offers from owners from places in Muscat and Salalah," he said.
According to Babu, owners want their pets to behave well in front of their relatives and friends, and also wish to take them along on trips to the desert.
"I have advised the owners to start using treadmills for the animals at their homes so that they remain fit and do not become lazy," he told the newspaper.
The demand to hire Babu shows that more and more people are acquiring wild animals and keeping them as pets.
His feat could be gauged from the fact that he managed to tame the cheetah in Bahrain after seven trainers had failed in their efforts and Babu said, it was the bond he had formed owing to the proximity with her that helped him win over the animal instinct.
"The noise scared her. The first step was to teach the animal to share space. Next was building trust. I would keep some meat lumps in a tray and stand next to it. Initially, the cheetah would grab them and run away. So I started tying the meat lumps on the tray handles so that she would be forced to have her food in front of me," he said.
Babu said he would be flying to Dubai to train a leopard and then travel to Muscat.
"I want to specialise in this field because it is a growing market," he said adding he is also planning to open a training centre for various animals in Muscat soon.
'Wolf' has also completed a dog training course in Germany.