While back in South Africa visiting family, I spent some time at the Pumba Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape. On an early morning game drive, we were privileged to witness two young cheetah brothers bring down a sizeable Impala ram. It was like watching a play unfold before your eyes. First watching the unsuspecting herd of Impala grazing peacefully in the bush, then spotting the cheetah stealing through the grass towards them.
Monkeys playing nearby saw the cheetah, and started jabbering, sending the alarm to alert the herd of imminent danger. The herd understood the warning, but couldn’t figure out the location of the threat. All of a sudden, the cheetah launched himself towards the herd. Most of them broke away together, but one made the mistake of going the wrong way, which absolutely sealed his fate.
As soon as the Impala was brought to the ground, “cheetah A” clamped down on its throat to asphyxiate its prey, while “Cheetah B” stood guard nearby. When the Impala finally succumbed to the inevitable, they switched positions, and “cheetah A” stood guard while his brother started to feast. Just a humbling glimpse into the incredible world of wildlife.
