It’s winter in the wild, and though the nights are cold and the bush less vibrant it’s this time of the year that game-viewing can seem effortless, and on this particular day it certainly was. Whilst groundskeeper Christopher Dzambukeri was on his way back from setting up a sundowner fire at the Africa On Foot bush bar, he spotted this cheetah coalition relaxing close to camp, out in the open and immediately called it in for the guides in the area.
When we got to the sighting they were busy grooming each other, yawning and beginning to slowing stretch. A tell-tell sign that they are gearing up to get active, and when they did it was territory marking time. Both males started to head in the direction of the camp, stopping at trees to scent mark and termite mounds to take rest, allowing both guests and guides to get perfect portraits of these rare felines.
During the dry winter months, these spotted cats may blend into their golden surrounds, but their movement is easily seen through the thinning foliage so it was easy to relocate them when we lost visual. After passing the camp they made their way towards Buffel Dam, but when they arrived, they weren’ta the only ones who wanted to quench their thirst. A elephant herd was also making their way to the water. The cheetahs got to the water first, but were too busy drinking to notice an adolescent bull sneaking up behind them.
A few tense moments followed but they managed to leap out of his way just in time! It’s always fun to see cross-species interactions in the bush. See the video below.
