Watch The Sighting Here:
Reto Schmidlin filmed the tussle between predator and prey and sent his video, along with his account of the incident, to Latest Sightings. He filmed it near Shingwedzi Camp in Kruger National Park.
Alarm Calls
Reto said he and his brother were on a game drive: “We saw a large herd of impalas snorting and making very prominent alarm calls. This was a strong indication to us that a predator was nearby, and maybe even on the hunt!”
As they watched, two cheetahs emerged from the surrounding bushes and set off after the impala. In seconds, they thought they had lost them, so they decided to drive on.
Later, Schmidlin said, “We saw the cheetah lying in the middle of the road with an impala… My hands were trembling out of excitement during the whole sighting.”
Slippery Surface
We see in Reto’s video how one of the cheetahs, a sub-adult female, presumably the offspring of the second cheetah, has caught the immature impala on the wet road.
The desperate impala bleated in distress as the spotted cat clutched its hindquarters with its claws.
Loose Grip
Then, the cheetah made a mistake. Thinking it had secured its prey, the predator loosened its grip on the impala.
Sensing that freedom was within reach, the impala attempted to flee. But as it tried getting to its feet, it couldn’t find its footing on the slippery road.
Consequently, the young predator quickly slapped it down before it got too far.
Exhausted
As the video progresses, the impala’s fatigue is evident. Both it and the cheetah are breathing heavily after the exertion of the chase.
If At First You Don’t Succeed
The poor impala made several attempts to get to its feet. However, each time it was unable to get onto its hooves.
It made a pitiful sight as it lay splayed and exhausted at the mercy of the cheetah.
Insufficient Grip
A while later, having sufficiently recovered, the inexperienced young cheetah attempted to grab its prey by the throat.
However, she couldn’t get a firm grip on the impala’s throat in her first attempt.
As a result, when she attempted to move off with the lamb, it managed to wrestle itself free, only to slip again.
In a flash, the cheetah again forced it to the ground.
Try Again
Having learned its lesson after previously failing to secure the impala, the cheetah’s second bite at its throat was much more secure.
This time, she easily hoisted the impala and began carrying it off the road.
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Mom Steps In
Although her grip was good, the still-struggling impala made life difficult for the youngster.
Seeing this and possibly having decided the lesson had gone on long enough, the mother cheetah came to assist her daughter.
At this point, the unlucky antelope’s fate was sealed. As Reto and his brother watched, the feline pair dragged their prey away from sight.
Hunting Lessons
Mother cheetahs frequently catch and then release small prey on which their offspring can practice their stalking, chasing, and killing techniques. It’s great to see how the youngster learned from her mistakes, undoubtedly making her mother proud.