Although visitors flock to Sabi Sands to see the population of leopards, there is another spotted predator that they should be on the lookout for.
Believe it or not this cheetah DOES have two ears. It was a very windy day and the ear ‘vanished’ in almost every one of my images.
Lions sleep most of the day and leopards can be notoriously hard to find, however, if you do come upon cheetah they are invariably out in the open, often on an anthill, searching for prey.
This solitary animal was an unusual spot as they are normally seem in coalitions of males numbering from 2-4.
Hidden in the grass? Not quite. As the grass dies off in winter, they will become more difficult for their prey to see as they blend into their surroundings so well.
This Black -belied Bustard did not seem to be too fazed by the proximity of the cheetah.
But why should it as it in not on the preferred prey species list for this particular predator.
As far as the eye can see…
Cheetah do like to be above ground to scout for prey.
In certain reserves they have learned to take advantage of the game viewers and will climb on the roof to look for a meal.
To the best of my research, there has never been an attack on a human by a wild cheetah.
All of the recorded attacks have taken place on properties where the cheetah are kep in enclosures and often used for education purposes.
Time to move…a yawn and a stretch. Then time to find something to eat.
Nearby, these two young impala rams were testing out there strength for the upcoming breeding season.
The clash of horns immediately got the attention of this animal.
“Let me have a look around”.
By this time both of the impala had sensed the presence of the cheetah and had decided that discretion is the better part of valour and had left the immediate vicinity.
And for those who might be confused by the similarities between a cheetah and a leopard, this is a leopard.
The main differences are:
The patterns on their coat. At first glance, it may look like they both have spots, however a leopard has rosettes which are rose-like markings, while cheetahs have a solid round or oval spot shape.
Cheetah have non retractable claws.
Cheetahs are the fastest land animals. They can reach speeds of up to 120 km/h and have the ability to accelerate from 0 to 103 km/h in three seconds – faster than most sports cars. When chasing down prey at top speed, cheetahs make use of their long tails to counterbalance themselves.
The tail of the cheetah is quite flat, and it acts as a rudder on an aeroplane. They help in cornering and changing directions at speeds of over 80 km/h. The Leopard’s tail is more stocky and tubular. It acts like a counterweight and helps the animal climb trees and to drag their kill up a tree.
Leopards will chase off cheetahs that stray into their territory.
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