Cheetah cubs first kill

Monkeys alarm calling on the vlei open area, we follow up to find a female cheetah and 5 cubs. 2 and a half hours we left but what unfloded inbetween was a afternoon of photographing them in beautiful light, chasing warthogs then a slender mongoose. The climax was watchinbg the female chase a herd of impala towards the cubs. all hell broke loose and the cubs closed in on a young impala. Eventually they caught it, for ten minutes they played with it, confused at how to finish the job, but driven by hunger and instinct to catch and kill, one cub got the grip right while the others started opening it up alive. Nauture is cruel but in the end it was a meal and a virtal lesson for them.

Posted: Phinda by Philip Mortlock, Date: 30 May 2008

 
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