Working with wildlife can be one of the most risky jobs in the world, but it can also be one of the most rewarding. Dolph Volker is a volunteer at the Cheetah Experience in South Africa, and he knows exactly the ups and downs of his jobs.

The Cheetah Experience has a large population of big cats and Dolph has been working for months to gain the confidence of the animals he works with. Cheetahs can be extremely shy creatures, and they don’t typically take well to humans interrupting their daily lives.

However, because Dolph has been working with them for months, he finally gets to see his hard work pay off. You definitely won’t want to miss the amazing encounter in the video below. He decides to lay down in the grass and take a nap, and what happens next is unbelievable.

As he’s laying down relaxing under a shady tree, a female cheetah approaches him. Dolph has had several of these encounters with the huntress so he knows a bit what to expect. He’s laying underneath the tree she likes to nap under too.

She walks up to him and begins grooming him with her rough tongue. She gives him a few gentle nibbles, and eventually settles in for a good cuddle session and much needed nap. You can hear her purring with delight at her new nap buddy.

Check out the unbelievable encounter below and be sure to share it with your friends. This is one they definitely won’t want to miss.