For over a year now, we’ve had the rare privilege of witnessing the incredible journey of the Makhatini female cheetah as she raised her three cubs—two males and one female—across the open grasslands plains of the reserve and beyond it. But as they approach 16 months old, the signs are clear: a new chapter is beginning, and with it, one of the most bittersweet transitions in the life of a cheetah family.

The Bond We’ve Watched Grow

From their first appearance in July 2024, in the long grass, to their first successful hunts, these cubs have lived under the diligent care and guidance of their mother. She has navigated every threat, hyenas, lions, and the ever-present challenge of finding enough food, ensuring her cubs not only survived, but thrived. Although losing one cub along the way, she has managed to avoid the ever-changing lion dynamics and has done incredibly well to have raised these 3 youngsters almost to independence.

This was the last sighting we had of all four cubs before they crossed south over our boundary about a year ago, and when she returned, she only had three cubs remaining, which are still alive to this day.

Raising cheetah cubs to this age is no small feat in the wild. In fact, it’s a remarkable achievement. Cheetahs suffer one of the highest cub mortality rates of all large carnivores. That the Makatini Female has brought all three cubs safely through the last 16 months is a testament to her strength, her hunting prowess, and her instinct to protect. In my time here, this would be her second litter that she has raised successfully.

But now, her role is almost complete.

The three youngsters exploring their surroundings under the watchful eye of their mother.

A Natural Parting of Ways

At around 18 months, cheetah cubs naturally break away from their mother. The timing can vary slightly depending on the individuals, but the process has already begun. We’ve noticed the cubs spending some short periods on their own, sometimes trailing behind as their mother moves off. This will lengthen, and soon, she will leave them altogether.

While heading through the open grasslands, fallen trees provide a great vantage point for the cheetah as they scan their surroundings.

It may seem harsh, but this is how cheetahs are wired. The mother knows she has done her part; her cubs are capable hunters now, strong enough to fend for themselves. It’s time for her to begin the cycle again, to find a mate and raise another litter, while these young cheetahs face the next chapter of their own lives.

After successfully catching this young impala ram, two of the youngsters came in while the mother cheetah regained her strength

Two Paths Forward

The future for the two young males will likely see them form a coalition, a close lifelong bond that will increase their chances of survival and success. Together, they’ll roam the reserve, learning to hold territory and eventually compete for mating opportunities. Their strength will be in their unity.

The young female, on the other hand, will most likely break away with her brothers and spend some time with them initially. But soon after that, she will break away from her brothers. She will likely venture far beyond our borders, establishing a territory of her own. Female cheetahs are solitary by nature and tend to operate independently once mature.

The months ahead will be filled with challenges for all three cubs: honing hunting skills, avoiding larger predators, and navigating a world without their mother’s guidance. But it’s also a time of immense growth and opportunity, and a phase we rarely get to witness so closely in the Sabi Sands Nature Reserve.

A tender moment between the mother cheetah and one of her youngsters as she groomed him before heading off to hunt.

What Lies Ahead for the Makatini Female

For their mother, the road circles back to the beginning. Once she separates from the cubs, likely in the next 2–3 months, she will be free to come into estrus again and seek out a male to mate with. This could mean new tracks, new territories, and, hopefully, in the not-so-distant future, another litter of cubs. The dominant male has been seen moving through these areas, and so one can only hope these two bear another litter.

Her task will be no easier than before, but she’s proven herself to be an exceptional mother. The success of her current litter speaks volumes of her resilience and adaptability, especially navigating the dense predator areas within the Sabi Sands.

A Time to Savour

As this incredible family nears the end of their journey together, we are reminded how fleeting these moments are in the wild and how fortunate we are to have watched them unfold.

The next couple of months offer perhaps the last opportunity to see the Makatini mother and her cubs together for a little while longer before they go their separate ways. Where they will end up, time will tell, but for now we will savour the next few months of watching these incredible predators journey the last part of their time together. Their journey is far from over—it’s only just beginning of something new.