Reporting Date: 07.02.2012

Tracking cheetahs can be very interesting especially in the morning when the day has just begun and the sun's warmth is just right. We came across a mother cheetah and her young cub walking across the Ololoitikoishi plains, in the South eastern tip of the Maasai Mara Reserve. The young cheetah raced behind her mother who from time to time stopped to scan the horizon for prey. After walking for about 200M the mother decided to stop and rest under a 'Gardenia tree' shade while the young cheetah instead opted to climb onto a dead tree and look out into the open plains, probably for prey as well as to watch out for potential predators such as lions, leopards and hyenas.

Before a cheetah can go sprinting and pounce on unsuspecting prey such as small sized antelopes, it has to look out into the field to see what's for lunch. Fallen dead trees, ant hills and kopjes make for great lookout points since they are among the few raised areas in the plains that offer a strategic view of the plains.

Cheetahs always keep their prey animals in their sights, even if they do not intend to hunt at a particular moment. Cheetahs also teach their young the techniques in hunting via a demonstration by the adults so it should be a good location for them as well for that purpose.

If you run as fast as the cheetah, you probably need a lot of rest. Just like the lion, cheetahs spend most of the day lying around and conserving energy. Hunts can be quite draining so it should be no surprise that cheetahs lay around for most of the day.

To view the sighted animals table click the "Read more" button.

NB: * = Same animals seen by different rangers