Cheetah and her three cubs on a kill. This Cheetah had taken down a Thompson’s Gazelle and dragged into the shade of an Acacia bush. She had three hungry mouths to feed. So her three very young cubs could feed, she had opened up the rump of the gazelle. The youngsters tucked in with enthusiasm. The mother whilst keeping a very careful eye open for any threats managed to get her share of the kill. It was lovely to see the way she cleaned her cubs at various times. A very attentive mother. Whilst always rather gruesome, it is good to see this Cheetah and her three cubs on a kill. Cheetahs have a tough life being at the bottom of the pile when it comes to other predators. Cheetahs frequently lose their prey to the likes of lion and hyena.
The Cheetah is under real threat with about 7000 animals remaining. It is effectively extinct in 10 countries which formed part of its normal range and it is likely that it will disappear from a further 11 countries. So it was encouraging that this healthy looking female had three well fed young cubs. Let’s hope that they all survive.