A while ago I wrote a post about how we were very lucky to be experiencing such great cheetah viewing on the reserve and I am very happy to say that that has not changed.
Even though we have enjoyed cheetah sightings all over the reserve, the south-western grasslands are where the majority of them have been which is what made one particular afternoon particularly enjoyable.
We were right on the other side of the reserve in an area not known for its cheetah viewing when out of nowhere two young males appeared from the grass.
One of the two young male cheetah that we spotted when they sat up in the golden grass.
They had seen a herd of impala in the distance and immediately began stalking them.
This young pair are most likely brothers and, judging by their size, they are newly independent which means they would be roaming the greater area in the hope of establishing a territory. The last time we had seen this pair they were in the far north of the Londolozi which just goes to show how these nomadic males are trying to cover large areas in the hope of finding a suitable territory without too much competition from existing dominant males, plenty of prey to catch and females to mate with.
Almost immediately we realized the pair were focused on a herd of impala some distance away so we sat dead still and waited to see what would transpire. They started to stalk the unsuspecting herd but they still had quite some distance to go before they could launch an attack.
One of the impala noticed the advancing cheetah and sounded the alarm, which triggered the stalking cats into full sprint. Impalas are incredibly quick and the herd took off. At one point it seemed as if they were getting away and that the cheetah had missed their opportunity but then one of them locked on to a young male impala that had not reacted as quickly as the rest of the herd. The chase was intense and we quickly lost sight of both cheetah and impala.
They both took off after the impala even though the impala had spotted them just before and it was very impressive to see the gap that they closed between them and the herd.
In the distance in a big open clearing we could see a puff of dust suddenly erupt in the area we had last seen the cheetahs running and as we got there we could see that one of them had been successful. The other came running in and the pair fed on the impala as quickly as possible. It was sunset which meant it was the time of day when other predators would also be moving around and so these two needed to eat quickly before anything else was attracted to their kill.
One cheetah was in the process of asphyxiating the impala.
As they fed they were very aware of their surroundings and kept scanning to see if any other predators had been alerted to the kill.
The sun was setting as they were finishing off their meal and as soon as they were done they moved off to settle down for the night because they knew it would not be safe for them to hang around what was left of the kill.
In less than half an hour they had finished the majority of their kill leaving only the legs and the stomach contents behind.
It had been a great afternoon for the two of them and a meal like that would have been a big confidence boost for these young males. The energy that they gained from that meal as well as the experience of another successful hunt would put them in good stead going forward as they continue to grow into a coalition that we will hopefully see roaming Londolozi for some time to come.
As sad as it is to witness, it is just as exciting to see a hunt and a succesful kill. It will be great if the two brothers stay at Londolozi.
Fascinating story, with the ostriches and cheetahs there seems to an influx of plains animals
The opening photo really highlights the value of looking right into the animal’s eyes
James happy to see these two are doing well. Is it typical for Cheetahs not to eat the stomach contents?
Hi Andrew and Daniel, Yes it is fairly typical. They will usually leave the stomach contents/intestines as well as skin and some of the bigger bones such as the legs.
The raw speed of a cheetah sprint is incredible to experience. We were fortunate to see a female cheetah slowly stalking an impala herd. In a flash, the cheetah was off to chase an impala which had separated slightly from the herd, closing the gap in unbelievable time. She alerted her 2 cubs and proceeded to train them about the asphyxiation.
Londolozi is definitely a predator-rich hunting area … two packs of wildogs, 2-3 prides of lions (1 of which is 21 strong), more leopards than i can count, now cheetah, hyenas, and scavengers galore (vultures, eagles, black & silver jackals, civet cats) and I’ve lost count of the rest. Do you have any guests to see all this wondrous activity? What is lockdown like there? Did some staff get locked in and others stuck at home? How do you get food shipments? How do you keep everyone from going crazy???
Yes how
Hi Bob and Lucie, we are very fortunate to be in an area known for its high density of predators. One of the reasons for this is the Sand river which provides water all year round. This keeps animals in the area as there is enough food and water to see them through the dry winter season. During this time we have scaled things right down in terms of normal lodge operations and it certainly is a lot quieter (people-wise that is) We are still able to get deliveries in to the lodge so that’s no problem. We are very lucky to have the bush and all these amazing sightings to keep us from going crazy! Thanks so much for your message.
Excellent to hear the Cheetah viewing is still steady!
This is very encouraging news for these two. Wishing them the best as they endeavor to establish a territory of their own.
We were fortunate enough to see a mother cheetah (blinded in one eye) and her two cubs during our stay at Londolozi.
They are truly amazing animals!
Speed, agility, intelligence, beauty define a cheetah in my opinion. It is heartening to know a few cheetahs have seemingly set up residence in your plains region, making great viewing. I’m hoping they will make a home there and not wander off in search of a female with whom they can mate. Cover photo is stunning/ those eyes say it all!!
I always sympathise with prey (impala in the case) but I must admit I am relieved to see that the brothers are able to hunt and survive. Cheetah definitely are among my favorite predators on a visit lost!
What a sight to see and what an amazing animal. Truly hope these brothers can stick together and find a territory to make their own.
Somehow you always seem to be at the right place at the right time! Thanks for great photos…
James, wonderful blog today, the cheetahs were along, and they caught Impala🤗
Good storytelling, James! I could see them take off after the impala and picture the takedown in the puff of dust. If reminded me of a similar time at Ruaha- exciting!
Very cool! Great that they had enough time without bother to get fed well.
Great sighting James! Reminded us us the perfect pair we saw with you when you when we were at Phinda! There were two that sat next to each other and struck the perfect pose – it’s on our wall! The hunt for the kill must have been wild!
Thanks Michael and Terri, I remember that morning well. It had been raining quite a bit before! Hope you are both well.
Always nice to see Cheetahs with full belly
Why did they leave the stomach contents behind and is it unusual for them to leave the stomach contents behind?
Thank you so much James Souchon!!!! Best story yet!!!!!!
Cheetahs are my favourite animals!!!!!!
Oh yes and I forgot to say that the look in the cheetahs eyes in the first picture is absolutely wonderful
And it is always nice to see cheetahs, my favourite animal, with a full belly and hopefully these males will be at londolozi for years to come and you will see some more fabulous hunts like that one!!!
best regards from Antwerpen !
What a fantastic sighting! – great that they’re able to fend for themselves. I hope they stay around.
Another fantastic story to make our mouths drool!! So thrilled they are sticking around and perhaps with this renewed confidence and, as yet, no competition they will stick around on Londolozi till we can all get there to enjoy them personally 🙏🏻💕. Super shots James
Wonderful pics and a well written article to go with them, James. Very well done! Can we have some more please? Wendy M
It is always exciting to see cheetahs! I hope they hang around!
lovely cheetah write up , very well presented and an interesting piece