Nothing turns out as expected in the majestic Mara – This morning, we were trailing a female cheetah with a single cub along Olkejo Rongai lugga/river and after an hour or so, there she was poised to hunt. We indeed were in for a show.
The cub didn’t seem to exhibit exuberance of youth but emulated her mom crouch for crouch, pause for pause stalking the unsuspecting Thompson herd.
For a cheetah to successfully make that chase count, it has to be within a ‘killing/catch zone’.
The cub keeps a watchful distance as mama does her thing.
With bated breath we watched; Poor Tommies have no idea what’s about to happen. Y’all know that feeling when things are to happen!!
While we were keenly anticipating the hunt chase, another predator lurked in our midst, readying for the hunt. And this time the hunt was not the Thompsons but the cub in training!
Call it instinct, or fate, the cub spotted the predator in the nick of time. Lorian the area resident has set his calculating eyes on the cub and mama cheetah had no idea! In a moment of flight or fight the Cub took off chipping after her mom, rousing the Thompson I swear mama cheetah had that look ‘I will smack the hell out of you tiny face’ then she sees Lorian! And Mother instincts kick in!
Personally, I was so excited and confused to take stills or video! Cheetah is no match to most of the big cats, or even scavenging vultures. More so, mortality rate for cheetah cubs is very high and female cheetahs are constantly threatened and are on the verge of getting extinct. As such its one hell of a job raising one!
AND so, mama CHEETAH did what she had to do to keep her cub safe, and we were there to witness the epic moment. In 3-5 mins we were on the other side of the river. You know, the grass is always greener on the other side.
Lorian the leopard had ‘tucked tail’ and disappeared into the croton bush and guess WHAT!!!!? Mama Cheetah had made a kill! A Tommie!
NARROW ESCAPE?!
HAPPY ENDING? for the Mama CHEETAH and HER cub but no so obviously for the gazelle and Lorian THE LEOPARD
To my fellow guides, we are the ambassadors and caregivers for these animals and their environment too. They perish we perish too. Let all be mindful and most of it all, let be the ambassadors of conservation. Preach and practice it. Let’s conserve Mara, let’s not litter the park. This goes to all who are planning to visit this 8th wonder of the world. And to the management -It’s high time we borrow a leave from our neighbours Tanzania Serengeti and have decent clean washrooms in the park and more so, at our point of entry. Tired of seeing toilet papers everywhere in the park.
Mara is a dream destination for the whole world. Let save it.
Yours #HaveFunWithGk
