Abdullah is the main antagonist of Disney's 1989 live action film Cheetah, which is based on the 1970 novel The Cheetahs by the late Alan Caillou. He is a ruthless and murderous poacher who wants to exploit Duma in a race against greyhounds.
He was portrayed by Paul Onsongo.
Personality
Abdullah is shown to be ruthless, aggressive, sneaky, cunning, greedy, arrogant, abusive, traitorous, argumentative, opprobrious and cruel. He is also very savage, murderous, bloodthirsty and sanguinary, so he loves to hunt and poach animals for sport. He is also not above killing people whenever they get in his way, as shown when he tried to kill Susan when she tried to rescue Duma. Before realizing Patel's scheme, Ted noticed his shoe marks that look similar to the tread around the time they found Duma. It was heavily implied that he was the poacher who killed Duma's mother. He was also behind a gambling plot to make Duma race against greyhounds with the help of Patel and Nigel for her fur.
History
An abandoned baby Duma is found by two American teenagers, Ted and Susan and their native friend, Morogo. Morogo informs Ted that her mother was killed by a poacher. Ted finds weird markings next to the cheetah, which Morogo identifies as footprints. When Susan learns of this, she immediately wants to adopt her. The others think that it is crazy, but she thinks that it is the only way for her to survive.
Six months later, while Ted and Susan are trying to recclimate Duma into the wild, Patel and Nigel hire Abdullah to kidnap Duma and explain their plan on making a fortune out of Duma by using her against greyhounds. The night before Ted and Susan are to leave Africa, Patel breaks into the house and manages to steal Ted's whistle. Nigel hands him his rope and Abdullah manages to capture her.
The next morning, the family stops at Patel's store to get gasoline. Patel sees the tears in Susan's eyes and asks if she is crying over losing her pet. Ted overhears this and confronts Patel, but Patel lies to him, assuring that he was commenting on Duma's release in Cheetah Valley. However, Ted notices the marks on Abdullah's shoes, making him realize that he was the poacher who killed Duma's mother. Ted tries to convince his parents about Patel's scheme, but they refuse to believe him. After sending their grandmother a telegram saying they will be delayed, the siblings take a bus back to Patel's store and discover he is gone, but learn his whereabouts from his cousin.
When Ted and Susan set out in the Great Rift to search for Duma and the poachers, Abdullah decides to train Duma for the race after giving Patel and Nigel instructions. Their first test involves Duma's endurance outside his camp, but Duma fails and Nigel calls her a lazy pussycat. The next day, when Morogo joins Ted and Susan on their quest, Abdullah taunts Duma with a bowl of meat before testing her hunting skills. Duma once again fails and Nigel forces her into her cage.
The next day, the children arrive at Abdullah's camp. Ted tries to come up with a plan to confront them, but Susan and Morogo insist on sneaking in at nightfall. They enter Abdullah's bedroom and discovers his poacher equipment and his illegal stuff, along with a stack of fliers advertising Duma's race. Susan then hears Duma's whimpers and they find her locked in a barn. As the children try to find something to break the lock, Abdullah jumps Susan and tries to stab her, but Ted comes in and is caught in the act. Patel and Nigel arrive in the scene and the three men argue over what to do with them. Abdullah wants to kill them, but Nigel suggests they lock them in the cage until after the race. Morogo enters the bedroom, but is almost caught when Abdullah and Nigel enter the toolshed to get his tools. As the men drive away with Duma, Morogo comes out of hiding and Susan gives him the combination to unlock the cage,
The children reach the racetrack in time to hear the cheetah-greyhound race being announced. Duma takes an early lead in the race, but as the race progresses the greyhounds catch up and manage to pass her. Ted grabs his whistle from a security guard and blows it. Hearing the whistle, Duma gets a second wind and wins by five lengths, forcing Patel and Nigel to compensate the bets. Duma then rebels against Abdullah and attacks her as the kids are reuinted with their parents. Ted warns them about Abdullah and they head after him. Saved by Earl, the poacher is arrested by the security guard.
Quotes
“
She's ours!
„
~ Abdullah capturing Duma.
“
Well, cheetah... you got some more work to do today. Are you going to be a naughty girl?
„
~ Abdullah to Duma.
“
The first lesson she must learn is that there is no escape. Then we will train her to race. (Mr. Patel: But we need to know exactly how far she can run before tiring.) Yes, yes. We have an odometer. (Mr. Patel: She may resist.) She must learn that she's powerless and we are powerful. Let's begin now.
„
~ Abdullah before training Duma.
“
That's the point! If she's angry and she's hungry, then she chases the rabbit better. Like some food, cat? Too bad. You gotta earn it.
„
~ Abdullah arguing with Mr. Patel and sadistically taunting Duma.
“
I must get my tools!
„
~ Abdullah getting his tools before they go to Nairobi.
Trivia
"Abdullah" is an Arabic name meaning "Servant of God".
Although Patel was the one who came up with the idea of exploiting Duma against greyhounds, Abdullah is the real main antagonist as he drove the plot of the film by killing Duma's mother in the first place and was the direct threat towards Duma's life. He was even far more dangerous than Patel and Nigel.
He is nicknamed "The Shoe Guy" by Ted, because of the fact that he was the poacher who killed Duma's mother as Ted recognized his shoe marks.
The cheetah skin near Abdullah's bedroom window could possibly be Duma's mother.
When Abdullah tries to escape from Duma, he has the rope in his hands, but a few shots later, he doesn't have it with him.
For some strange unknown reason, he didn't get in his truck when he's being chased by Duma before he got arrested.
Before Duma's race, Abdullah's truck was parked in a neighborhood near Nairobi Downs, but during his arrest, the truck is in the same location where he was being chased.
If one pays attention closely before Duma attacks Abdullah, he trips before Duma pushes him to the ground.
