Watch the Sighting:
Stephan Greyvenstein and his wife, Karien, were enjoying a safari in Kruger National Park one afternoon when they witnessed this exciting yet emotional sighting. Stephan recounted that they were driving down the S100 on their way back to Satara when other safari-goers shared some exciting news!
An Incredible Tip-Off
The passers-by explained that they had encountered some cheetahs in the area and advised Stephan to keep a keen eye out. Excited by the prospect of spotting the big cats, Stephan and Karien carefully scanned their environment as they drove down the road.
Sure enough, after a few minutes, they spotted a couple of cheetahs, but were even more excited when they discovered the cheetahs were in the midst of a hunt! Stephan and Karien had never before witnessed a kill from the stalking through to the take-down, and they were hoping that this would be their moment.
Tactics Over Instinct
The cheetahs were stalking a herd of impala, and Stephan and Karien were carefully trying to maneuver their car to have the best vantage point of the hunt. After several tense minutes of stalking the impalas, the chase began!
Chaos erupted as the cheetahs launched their attack on the impala herd! Amongst the commotion, one of the cheetahs managed to grab one of the young impalas.
In a surprising turn of events, however, the cheetah let go of its prey. Initially, Stephan and Karien couldn’t figure out why the cheetah released what could have been such an easy meal!
Eventually, they realized this was a smart tactic used by the cheetahs to lure over the mother of the young impala in hopes of securing a larger meal. Would the tactic work?
An Emotional First for Long-Time Visitors
Moments passed, and the mother displayed no interest in fighting for her lamb. When it seemed clear that the mother had given up on her young one, the cheetahs decided to secure the kill at risk of leaving the hunt with no meal at all.
Stephan and Karien were heartbroken to watch the little lamb struggle in the cheetahs’ jaws, but knew that this was simply the circle of life. Stephan recounted that this was a first-time sighting for him and his wife over the twenty-five years they had been visiting the park.
“The speed of the kill was unbelievably fascinating. Fortunately, it was still light enough before we had to get back to camp that we could spend enough time sitting there and just enjoying every moment!”
How Does A Cheetah Hunt?
Cheetahs are expert hunters, famous for their high-speed chases. Just like other animals, however, they can’t rely on speed alone to secure a kill.
Cheetahs must first rely on stealth and terrain to gain an advantage over their prey. They will use the landscape to their advantage, often sneaking through tall grass where they blend in well.
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Once they are within 60-100 meters of their target (often young or weakened impalas or gazelles), they burst into a sprint and can reach speeds of up to 112km/h within seconds! They usually trip their prey with a swipe to the hind legs, then end the hunt with a suffocating throat hold.
Exhausted from the chase, cheetahs will typically rest before they begin to feed, but this can make them particularly vulnerable to scavengers who may want to sneak in for an easy meal.
This sighting is a reminder that witnessing a hunt in the wild is not just about the action but about the strategy, precision, and instinct behind every kill. Moments like this demonstrate that behind every chase, there is always a story.