For anyone who has seen a cheetah in the wild, you will understand how rare and exhilarating the experience is. That said, we have recently been incredibly fortunate to have a young male cheetah roaming the reserve and we can never quite be sure where he might pop up next. Nick wrote about the whereabouts of where we had been seeing the cheetah of late, but things have shifted slightly in that the young male is now popping up all over the show.
![Male Cheetah Sitting On Mound [rcb]](https://media.londolozi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/23160806/Male-Cheetah-Sitting-on-mound-RCB-1260x1598.jpg)
The young male cheetah that has been roaming the reserve of late pauses temporarily atop a termite mound to assess his options.
Setting off on a recent morning drive, our focus and hopes were to find the large herd of buffalo that can often be found moving between water holes across the open grass plains in the southwest. The vast plains are however also always your best bet when searching for a cheetah. It wasn’t long after I explained this to my guest when we heard over the radio that a cheetah had been found! I couldn’t believe our luck, as although seeing a cheetah was high up on my guest’s wish list of animals to see, they knew it could be hit or miss during their three-day stay.
A large buffalo bull was among the first of more than one thousand individuals in the herd to approach a large waterhole.
Needless to say, we got ourselves across there as quickly as possible only to arrive at an empty scene. The young male cheetah had taken off into some thicker vegetation and disappeared. The vehicle fell silent. We knew he had to be somewhere close by but the challenge was on again. Knowing how quickly they can cover ground while chasing after their prey, we started widening the radius of our search from where he had last been seen. Was it a successful hunting attempt or would he disappear into the long grass to catch his breath? We weaved our way through the long grass, holding our breath while equally preparing ourselves that our chances of finding him again were quickly diminishing.
Peaking around the corner of a few round-leafed teak bushes, we got a flash of commotion. What could it be?
Although still on his feet, this impala was not going to make it out of the relentless grip of the cheetah. His chase had resulted in success. But the battle was still underway.
Although to some it may be a tough scene to watch, myself, tracker Bennet and our guests were in absolute awe at the strength and determination of the young cheetah, fighting against an incredibly powerful large male impala. It truly was an intense battle. The raw beauty of the circle of life some might say, we just knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime sighting as we ended up being in the right place at just the right time!
All but one paw in the air trying to bring the impala to the ground. With his non-retractable claws exposed, he tries to use his paws to leverage around the neck of the impala.
Although impalas look relatively dainty, while watching this fight go on, it was impressive to see just how strong an impala can be as it is fighting for its life. After battling it out for a few minutes, eventually, the cheetah’s strength and determination won. Below is a snippet of what we witnessed.
A truly remarkable sighting to be a part of.
Catching his breath and surveying his surroundings for any lurking scavengers that may have heard the final distress call of the impala ram.
Dragging the impala to the cover of an African Weeping Wattle tree before he began feeding on his well-earned meal.
After a long hard-won battle, it was a relief that this cheetah had been able to secure himself a decent meal. Life for cheetahs is incredibly challenging, being at the bottom of the predator hierarchy the odds are heavily stacked against them and often a carcass like this is stolen shortly after one has taken its first bite. Luckily in this case the cheetah was able to have its fill and replenish all the energy it had spent in the hunt.
That had to have been an amazing experience for everyone witnessing this struggle between cheetah and impala Kelsey. I know I would be cheering for the cheetah given their lowly status in the predator chain. Just viewing a cheetah is a thrill, but to see a kill – wow! Thanks for the post!
It was truly such a thrill Denise! A special moment for me and my guests that we certainly won’t forget! 🙂
Kelsey that was absolutely awesome for you and your guests to see this happening right in front of your vehicle. Cheetah are very impressive cats and although one does not see them very often. So when you do see one , appreciate the presence of such an incredible cat. So glad he could at least his hard earned catch before the hyenas or lions come and grab it from him.
Thank you Valmai, it was incredible to witness the strength and determination of the cheetah! 🙂
The balance of life & death
Survival of the fittest
To witness it puts a chill through my bones
It certainly does have that effect Barbi and truly incredible to witness such a sighting.
Awesome encounter. It’s nature and the hard facts of being prey – from the viewpoint of the Impala. But also the hard fact that predators have to eat and survive and nature will be kept in a certain balance.
But still, it’s sad to see an animal suffer as the Impala certainly did. I wonder whether endomorphines will be released by its body so that the pain is a bit lessened. But I don’t really believe it, because these poor animals that are taken down cry in a dreadful way while they are dying.
Thanks Christa, it is a tough process to watch and comprehend but as you say it is the balance of nature.
Spectacular sighting, Kelsey! Our compliments and best wishes to you and Bennet. Jerry and Sarah
Thank you Jerry. Sending warm regards back to you and Sarah too 🙂
Wow Kelsey, great job searching out the cheetah, and what a reward for your efforts! Great captures, thanks for sharing…
Thank you Rob, very happy to share this incredible sighting!
Incredible sighting and capture Kelsey! I love cheetah, and this young male is proving to be quite a great character in the drama of life in the wild of Londolozi!!
Thank you Paul, he really is an amazing character and we hope to see more of him in future!
Kelsey, What an amazing sighting. Truly once in a lifetime! Amazing that the Cheetah could pull down such a large Impala!
It certainly was a once in a lifetime sighting! 🙂
A cheetah is special enough to see in the bush, but a real live successful cheetah hunt is always like hitting the jackpot! The process of the battle for Life is so profound to sit and absorb.
I couldn’t agree more Lisa, it truly was a profound experience!