Ranger, Liam Todd, recorded this exciting interaction at Lapalala Wilderness reserve in the Waterberg.
Disturbed rest
Liam recalled that he had found the two cheetahs — a mother and her sub-adult offspring — resting near a high-water bridge. As he and his guests watched them, a troop of baboons arrived, setting the stage for the drama which followed.
Without faltering, the baboons advanced on the pair, forcing them onto the bridge. Of the two, the youngster was the first to show signs of discomfort, wearily watching the oncoming troop.
Not used to giving way
As predators, cheetahs are not used to giving way to other animals. So, initially, the female and her cub stood their ground, snarling at the oncoming baboons.
Males lead the charge
However, the baboons had complete confidence in their guardian males and numerical superiority.
At this point, the younger cheetah started to get anxious. Its first move was to try ward off the baboons with a threatening lunge.
Despite this, the baboons kept coming and didn’t take kindly to the youngsters’ aggressive attitude. This provoked a large male to charge towards it, causing the cub to veer away.
However, as it did so, it inadvertently found itself with nowhere left to run… with one dangerous exception: straight toward the rest of the baboons!
Running the gauntlet
Seeing the panicked cheetah streaking towards them, the baboons erupted angrily, barking and screeching in unison. With no other option, all the young cat could do was run for its life while its mother looked on in alarm.
Thankfully, not only are cheetahs fast, but they are also extremely agile. In seconds, it somehow managed to skirt past the enraged troop before disappearing into the dense bush at the roadside.
New target
Having dealt with one adversary, the agitated baboons turned their attention to the mother cheetah. She, meanwhile, realised that there was no point hanging around.
With a quick backward glance, she started moving in the opposite direction. For the baboons, the cheetah’s retreat was too slow and they increased their pace in pursuit.
Seeing this, the cheetah picked up her pace and ran up the road, easily outpacing her irate pursuers.
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Order restored
With their opponents beating a hasty retreat, the baboon troop started settling down and order was restored. True to form, the guardian and sentry males resumed their positions and the troop moved on with their day.
As for the cheetahs, Liam informed us that the pair were soon reunited, both unscathed by the scary encounter.
Baboons united
This video is a wonderful illustration of baboon society. They live in large social groups with multi-layered social structures.
At the base are reproductive units, made of a primary male, females and their young and secondary males. These units band together with other units to form parties, which in turn share overlapping territories, forming gangs.
Overall, males are dominant and responsible for group security. Their hierarchy changes frequently.
Meanwhile, females inherit their social status from their mothers. Collectively, the females shoulder the bulk of the parental duties.
Next time you encounter a baboon troop, be sure to spend some time in their company observing their fascinating social behaviour.