I’m sure I’m not the only one who is feeling like the start of this year has flown by – it’s hard to believe it’s April already! Reflecting on the first quarter of 2025, there have already been several incredible sightings and time spent in the reserve.
One particular morning that comes to mind was towards the end of January when we were in the right place at the right time; and got front-row seats to a spectacular morning with the Makhatini Family.
To set the scene: we set off one morning in the hope of finding the cheetah family as they had been seen roaming the open crests close to camp for a few days prior. After a long search with not much luck, we were pretty much heading back to camp when Ranger Melvin radioed to say he’d found them further ahead on a road we were already driving! He immediately updated us to say get there quick as he spotted them on the chase after a herd of impalas!
With pace we rounded the bend in the road, and not 100m up ahead we came to an exhilarating stop as we watched the mother cheetah, followed by her three cubs (almost a year old), run towards our vehicle in pursuit of an impala lamb that had split from the herd.
With elation that we’d found the cheetah, we were then suddenly swept with a wave of mixed emotions as we watched what unfolded next…
As the diary of photos below will show, a morning like this was a magically raw experience highlighting the brutal reality of nature and the circle of life. While at times it was sometimes hard to watch, it was also simply remarkable to spend this time with the Makhatini family.
The Makhatini Female successfully chased this impala lamb. However, as she caught up to it, her cubs ran in and took over. At this stage in their development, they are still constantly learning from their mother. In this particular situation, it was a perfect opportunity for the young cheetahs to “practice what mumma preaches” and see how much they had learned from observing their mother take down prey on previous hunts.
Without much hunting experience, we watched as the cubs weren’t quite sure what to do with the impala lamb. They chased it around but none of them took the initiative to finalize the kill.
After some time, the Makhatini Female stepped in and moved the lamb into the shade where she then lay down next to it as the cubs gathered around.
The Makhatini Female patiently lay next to the impala – still alive – while she continued to watch as her cubs tried to kill the lamb. Brutal to watch from the impala’s perspective, but fascinating to witness the patience of the mother cheetah and the persistence of the cubs in a moment that is so important for their own development.
Reaping the reward!
Playful antics. One could immediately sense the energy boost amongst the youngsters after some time feeding. Halfway through the feed, the cubs ran in circles chasing each other while carrying the impala head.
Circle of life. As soon as the four cheetahs moved away from the carcass, it felt like only a few seconds before the vultures descended to the ground to play their part.
Leave no trace. The lurking vultures scavenge around the clearing making sure they consume every little sign of the kill. They keep an eye out for the playful cheetah cubs that continuously chase after them.
Front row seats.
I love this image of one of the cubs fixated on one of the hooded vultures moments before it chased them into flight.
With full bellies and a successful morning, the Makhatini Family moved away from the remaining vultures and scanned their surroundings atop a nearby termite mound, searching for a perfect safe spot of shade to settle for the heat of the day. We took this as our cue too to let them be and head back to camp.
Hi, it’s a story of opposites, emotional, beautiful and cruel at the same time. I love cheetah. They are wonderful animals, delicate and yet capable of incredible endurance and courage. The legacy between them may be a real surprise. I also love impala, and an impala lamb is one of the most appealing creatures among mammals. So, I can also imagine the pain and anguish of its mother, and the hope of the cheetah mother, to raise her cubs to independence, all her efforts. It’s so difficult. The most striking picture is the one with the cubs and the lamb together, it looks like an idyllic scene that cannot be… otherwise cheetah would disappear. It’s a privilege to see both species and enjoy nature, the most varied it is the better….
What a fantastic sighting for you and your guests Kate. Just to see this family is special and then to see them work as a team to bring down the lamb is exciting, although painful to watch at the same time. Makhatini seems to be so patient, waiting for them to strike the final blow in order to begin their meal. Considering the size of the lamb, I wonderhow much food was actually available to mom as those cubs are growing rapidly. I suspect they would hunt again soon. I really appreciated your photos to complete your story.
An incredibly exciting and moving encounter between this poor lamb and the cheetah family. The latter one must be fed and the little lamb should be save. A situation that is so brutal on one hand and yet so common in nature…. It’s eating and being eaten, death and life intertwined.
Amazing photos, Kate.
Quiet heartsore to see them chasing the little impala lamb and not knowing what to do with it. All in the growing up learning curve and mom teaching the cubs how to hunt. One lesson learned for the cubs and hopefully they will know what to do next time. Then the vultures come in and clean up the carcass and no one any the wiser that there was a kill just moments before. Nature is amazing and astounding.