\u201cI wasn\u2019t born to follow and I\u2019m not sure if I was born to lead, but what I\u2019m certain is that I was born to fight my way through life and win.\u201d<\/p>\n
~ Unknown<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
From the lookout under a Shepherd\u2019s tree, three sub-adult cubs followed their mother towards a croton grove where the cheetah mum must have seen potential prey. The cubs followed from a distance and one cub paused, while following its mother, just to see what we were doing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe wise learn many things from their enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n ~ Aristophanes<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This cheetah family emerged from a croton grove and were smelling scats on the way out. The smells must have given them important information as this individual lingered sometime decoding the aromatic data.<\/p>\n These lightweight predators are furtive in their movement when they are uncertain. They are always looking around them to check that no threat will catch them unawares.<\/p>\n The female and her cubs were very wary as they backed away from the croton grove. Something triggered their caution. We could not see what it was. Perhaps the cheetah mother caught sight of a leopard or lion and backed out.<\/p>\n Cheetahs continually look behind themselves to make sure nothing is sneaking up behind them. They have the speed out outrun any threat if they just get enough warning of imminent danger.<\/p>\n In or out of the sun, a cheetah\u2019s speed starts with aerodynamics. Its slender body, small head, flattened rib cage and long, thin legs minimise air resistance. Its lightweight frame (typically only weighs about 125 pounds or 57 kg), gives it a high power to weight ratio.<\/p>\n This young Cheetah was relaxing in the shade. The colour of the light cast on these cheetahs depended on the direction of the sun when in shade.<\/p>\n A mother and one of her sub-adult cubs lying in the shade facing different directions for security reasons. The youngster was not bored just tired.<\/p>\n A cheetah mother with two of her three youngsters. The third was further ahead, out of the frame. It is no mean feat to raise three young cheetahs in this tough predator-filled environment.By 18 months of age, the mother leaves the cubs. Then, they usually a form sibling group, staying together for another six months. At about two years, the female siblings leave the group and the young males remain together for life.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n ~ John Muir<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The next image shows behaviour I have never seen before and would have never believed if I had not seen it for myself. A flock of guineafowl followed these cheetah making an almighty racket. They actually pursued them, making it clear to every living being around that there were predators in front of them.<\/p>\n The guineafowl must have followed this cheetah family for nearly half a kilometre before abandoning their mobbing. I have never seen guineafowl do this before. The more I get to see guineafowl the more complex I find their behaviour. It is clear that predators do not get it all their own way. Tree squirrels, Vervet monkeys, baboons, starlings and guineafowl are always ready to sound their alarm calls signalling the whereabouts of a predator.<\/p>\n These young cheetahs seemed to be spooked by many of the sounds around them. Presumably knowledge built on past experience. They became even more wary once the wind started to gust. The swirling air disturbed their senses making it difficult for them to locate the direction of sounds and scents.<\/p>\n When cheetahs rest there is always one on guard keeping 360 degree surveillance. When there is an unusual sound the others quickly sit up and take notice.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight; it\u2019s the size of the fight in the dog.\u201d<\/p>\n ~Dwight D. Eisenhower<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Photographs are normally taken of cheetahs side on but you do not get a sense of how lean and thin they actually are from a side view. It is incredible to think that this wild creature can accelerate to speed of 60 miles per hour in three seconds. Equally impressive is that they can twist and swerve at these speeds to catch their prey. The power to rapidly accelerate\u2014not just speed alone\u2014is the key to the cheetah\u2019s hunting success, according to Alan Wilson, a professor of locomotive biomechanics at the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London.\u201cCapturing prey seems to come down to maneuvering,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s all the zigzagging, ducking and diving.The way cheetahs pivot and turn while sprinting was amazing. A cheetah can bank at a 50-degree angle in a high-speed turn, while a motorcycle can do maybe 45 degrees\u201d (Source: Seth BorensteinThe Associated Press).The cheetah\u2019s long tail acts like a rudder during the high speed chase and works as a counterbalance enabling it to zig zag, making quick turns at amazing speeds.<\/p>\n The black tear marks from the eye to the mouth reduce reflection in bright sunlight and improve vision. This is necessary as these lightweight speedsters hunt in daylight hours when they have less competition from lions, leopards and hyaenas. Supposedly cheetahs\u2019 night vision is no better than a humans but they do hunt at night when necessary.<\/p>\n \u201cAt some point in life, the world\u2019s beauty becomes enough.\u201d<\/p>\n ~ Toni Morrison<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n A pensive youngster. A privilege to look at them but we have no idea of their context and what they have been through to survive to this point.<\/p>\n \u201cIn all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.\u201d<\/p>\n ~ Aristotle<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n This is typically how you will first see a cheetah in Mashatu. A family looking out from under the shade of a Shepherd\u2019s tree.Solitary females are particularly vulnerable, with young to feed and defend. Males, on the other hand, are more sociable and often form coalitions of between two and five animals that stay together for life. The coalition gives them the power to defend typical territories of up to 160 square kilometres. Solitary females roam further.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/cheetah-1.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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