This incredible sighting was witnessed near to the Crocodile Bridge in the Kruger National Park, and was filmed by Kerry of Kruger Pride Safaris.
Cars gather to witness incredible encounter
A dusty road of the reserve nearby the Crocodile Bridge was congested by a line of cars, with motorists watching in awe as a cheetah and a large male lion took centre stage.
The male lion walked with a steady, commanding gait towards the female cheetah. She was playing a game of ‘cat and mouse’ with him and had run in the opposite direction to where she had hidden her cubs, hoping to lure the lion away from them.
Lion steadily approaches cheetah
She looked on as he approached her, and if she was afraid, she didn’t show it. Her maternal instincts had given her a special kind of bravado and she stood her ground.
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She remained strategic in her moves. She stood transfixed, keeping her eyes focused on the lion.
He in turn kept his focus on her.
Female cheetah acts as diversion to save cubs
She moved further away from her cubs, doing nothing to suggest they were nearby.
As the male lion approached her, she crouched down and locked eyes with him.
Cheetah locks eyes with lion as a diversion
The mother cheetah now flattened herself against the ground. Her golden coat blended in with the dry savannah and her eyes locked onto the lion’s, not as a challenge, but as a strategy.
Each movement she made was calculated. She flicked her tail once, then darted sideways, slowly at first, deliberately making herself more visible. She was leading him away from her little ones.
The lion, curious but not aggressive, slowed his pace and shifted his gaze towards her. She remained crouched, ready to spring. She was poised and ready.
She knew she was no match for his brute strength, but she had speed, agility, and the oldest weapon of all: a mother’s instinct to protect.
The lion had taken the bait. The cheetah mother had led him far enough from her cubs.
He was right up close to her now, presenting a formidable and imposing presence.
For her, it was a dangerous gamble. One wrong move and the cost could be everything.
Cheetah rises to escape with haste
When the lion was just the right distance away from her… and her cubs… she stood to her feet and started to sprint forwards.
She had speed in her favour, and also strategy. The lion knew that to chase her now would be futile. She was too far away now for him to attack her. She had made her getaway and he was now far away from her cubs. For her, it was victory!
She had successfully removed the threat from her cubs, and led the lion astray.
This breathtaking encounter showcased the faithfulness of the cheetah mother towards her cubs. She risked everything, even making herself the ‘bait’, to ensure her little ones were safe.