Yoni Wolpe sent this amusing video to Latest Sightings. He filmed it while visiting Welgevonden Game Reserve in South Africa’s Limpopo Province.
Split-second decisions
In the African veld, survival often comes down to split-second decisions. As Yoni sat watching, a cheetah feeding on an earlier kill illustrated this fact to perfection.
As we join the action, we see a family of warthogs trotting across the dry terrain.
Danger ahead
Unbeknownst to the pigs, there is danger ahead. In the image below, only the black and white-banded tail of a cheetah is just visible as it lies flattened in a shallow depression.
As the warthogs get ever closer, the cheetah raises its head, revealing itself. Consequently, the warthog family, comprising a boar, a sow, and three piglets, takes evasive action.
Different paths
However, while the boar veers to the left, his family heads to the right, splitting the family. As the pigs scatter, the cheetah is at first confused and indecisive.
Only once the warthogs have all but passed it does the spotted cat rise to a sitting position. Initially more surprised than scared, the whole warthog family sprints to escape danger.
Delayed reactions
However, at this point, the boar seems to remember he has a responsibility to protect his family. And, it is at exactly this time that the cheetah realises that it’s about to let the chance of a meal get away.
Then, the cheetah makes an error of judgment. Instead of going after one of the piglets, it turns to chase the much larger boar.
Subsequently, the two animals find themselves face-to-face. In response, the cheetah lunges forward, slapping its front paws on the ground, trying to intimidate the warthog
In no mood for the cats’ threat display, the boar executes a sharp about turn. Then, in a display of the courage for which warthogs are renowned, the boar charges the slightly built predator.
Not used to being charged itself, the cheetah now turns and runs in the opposite direction.
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Discretion is the better part of valour
No doubt, the cheetah realises that a fully-grown male warthog is more than it can handle.
Meanwhile, one of the piglets, encouraged by its father’s bravery, also turns to join the chase. With their tails raised like antennas, the angry pair of pigs pursue the petrified predator.
With the pigs hot on its heels, the cheetah veers to the right and disappears as it skips up the boulders of a nearby rocky outcrop.
Consequently, sensing victory, the boar abandons his chase and returns to his family.
Pick on someone your own size
It may come as a surprise to see a large predator turn tail when confronted by potential prey.
However, once we consider the consequences for the predator if it were injured, the decision starts to make sense.
An adult male warthog does not make an easy target. For one thing, he wields deadly lower tusks. Continuously sharpened as they rub against the upper tusks, these are well capable of causing serious injury.
Furthermore, the warthog would likely outweigh its slightly built adversary by some margin.
And all this before we take into account the possibility of the sow coming to her mate’s aid.
Which all goes to show that even when things look clear-cut in Nature, it’s never safe to make assumptions.