For the last couple of days the Notch boys had gone AWOL again, although late this morning reports have come back that they are hanging around the Topi Plains area of the Mara. Notch has not been seen for a few days and as our time to return to the UK is getting closer it may be that we don't have the chance to catch up with him again, although hoping this changes! We spent some time looking for him this morning, as did many others, although with no luck. He is most likely hanging with the Olkeju Rongai Pride, who are not always that easy to find.
So yesterday after we spent some time watching the Rekero Pride we headed off again to look for the Cheetah cubs, pretty soon she will no doubt move her cubs as she has been in the same area for some days now and although the cubs are growing bigger daily she will still have to keep them moving in order to avoid any other predators picking up their scent. So given this we wanted to spend as much time with them as possible as we had a feeling she may soon move into the Olare Orok Conservancy
Sure enough we found her fairly quickly, not on a termite mound, not hidden in a bush but on top of a car! Maliaka, (like other Cheetahs who have exhibited the same behaviour in the past) is one clued up cat and uses the height of the cars to scan the plains for potential prey. A behaviour that will most likely be passed onto her cubs. She seemed totally at ease, spending around 20 minutes on the car roof as the lucky guests captured images of her just a few feet way from them. This really was face to face with a cheetah! She soon jumped down and as she did the cubs appeared from under the car.
All the game vehicles left and we were soon left on our own with them, something that does not happen too often in high season. She looked hungry and moved through the high grass continuing to scout for prey. Although we could not really get any shots it was nice to just take time to be in their company and watch them as she focused her attentions on obtaining food. The cubs playing around at their mothers feet.
Soon enough other cars arrived at the sighting and Maliaka again took advantage of the mobile vantage points and off she was again, back on the car roof, this time on the roof of a vehicle belonging to a good fried of ours, Simon. His guest was treated to a great show as she sat relaxed on the roof, scanning the plains. The tiny Cheetah cubs thought they could have a go to and tried to take after mum, it was probably one of the most hilarious parts of the trip as one of the cubs threw itself at the tyre but missing as it came hurtling back down the ground! Needless to say it did not try it again!
Although we knew she would inevitably hunt we left her as we had some things sort at camp but returned to her later in the afternoon. Sure enough it appeared she had not long hunted as we found her, again in long long grass devouring what looked to be a Thomson Gazelle. This pleased us as she was in need of food and without food she would not be able to keep her cubs alive. Although we could not see clearly it looked as if the cubs were starting to try meat as there heads bobbed up and down below the grass and looking like they may have been licking the kill. Although these little ones will still be heavily dependent on their mothers milk for a while yet they will now soon start to try meat, albeit just licking and chewing the meat and getting used to new textures of food. As Maliaka fed she would pop her head up in the grass, keeping a watchful eye for any other predators who may wish to enjoy her spoils to.
As the evening stated drawing to a close and as she still fed two shapes suddenly appeared on the horizon, two Hyena. Although we are very fond of Hyena and they are a species that gets unnecessary bad 'press' we will be honest and say that moment in time it was the last thing we wanted to see! Hyena and Lion are two predators that are bad news for Cheetah, especially ones with cubs. They were attracted by the smell of the kill and advanced toward Maliaka with great speed. Fortunately she had seen them and started advancing toward the Hyena. She had to protect her kill, but most importantly she had two tiny babies that needed protecting. The Two Hyena soon came almost head to head with Maliaka, the cubs ran to our left and away from the kill as Maliaka distracted the hyena away from them. With a strong maternal instaimcy she haunched her back and spat and hissed with gusto at the Hyena, trying to push them away. She had successfully managed to distract the Hyena from her cubs (who could so easily be killed by the Hyena) but she lost the fight to save her kill as the Hyena darted in, grabbed what was left of the Gazelle and ran off and started devouring and tearing apart the carcass.
However, by now she had fed for some time so had at least managed to consume a reasonable amount of food.
By now we had backed right away from what was happening, ok yes we missed getting shots of this but right now this was the last thing on our minds, and plus the grass was so high it seemed a pointless task trying to capture this. What we wanted to avoid was suddenly being in between the mother and cubs as they had become split away in the chaos.
The cubs called and chirped trying to get their mother's attention, they looked so vulnerable as they lay low and called for her to taken them to safety. Maliaka soon heard them and darted over and they were fortunately reunited, and as they did you could literally hear a huge sigh of relief from the few vehicles at the sighting.
By now the mother and cubs were visible properly for the first time that evening but they moved fast away from the area and given they had just had a pretty traumatic experience we decided to leave them, rather than following them. In our view this is where there is such a fine balance between 'getting the shot' and thinking about the welfare of the animal. Our hearts had been racing through this entire event, which happened in a matter of seconds and it just illustrates the constant battle that a Cheetah has to contend with on the African plains. This would be another important lesson for the cubs and all part of building up learned behaviour in order to survive into adulthood and no doubt this is not their first, nor will it be their last encounter with other predators on the Savannah.
Maliaka Scans for prey
and another car!
10 members of the Rekero Pride relaxing on the banks of the Talek
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