Cheetahs take a risk by going after a large zebra herd. They are able to seek, pursue, and capture a tiny, defenseless zebra foal.
While on a game drive in the Pilanesberg National Park, field guide Jann-Rick Louw had an amazing encounter. He provided Latestsightings.com with his photos and story:
“We knew there was a mother cheetah with cubs. Over the previous few days, they had been spotted in the same location, and this morning was no exception. We reached the plains where these cheetahs had been spotted as soon as we arrived. We saw them lounging in the shadow of a shepherd tree, mom and cubs.”
Cheetahs typically like wide-open plains over denser thickets. Their speed is a hunting advantage. Cheetahs have a lot more opportunity to run at full speed during a chase across open plains, improving their chances of a successful hunt.
“After watching these cheetahs for a few days, we could tell they were starving to death. We were also aware that a herd of zebras was moving in their direction. We held our breath in eagerness.
“After what seemed like a lifetime, the black and white hues in the bushes that encircled the wide plain began to move. These zebras moved ahead with what seemed a spring in their step. unaware of the potential threat that lingered not too far away.
Cheetahs typically favor hunting smaller antelope. Undoubtedly, these smaller cats find it much simpler to consume smaller antelope. Zebras are among the largest prey, but cheetahs typically stay away from them because doing so increases the likelihood of fracturing a bone.
“At some point, the mother cheetah started placing herself, slowly but gradually. The two kids on her side followed her lead and positioned themselves neatly next to her. I would have missed it if I had dared to blink.
“Then, all three cheetahs took off in a burst of speed I had never witnessed before. The unaware zebras were taken by surprise. A tiny foal and its mother were separated as a result of the chase. He was being pursued by cheetahs. As a cloud of dust rose, the foal descended. The seasoned mother cheetah quickly tightened a strangling grip around the zebra’s delicate neck.
Fortunately for this hungry mother and her offspring, one of the 58% of cheetah hunts that were successful. Success means that the kittens will be nourished, and with any luck, they’ll grow up to help boost Africa’s depleting wild cheetah population.
“The struggle ended when the zebra stopped moving. Opening the carcass, the cheetahs began to gorge themselves on the tender flesh and internal organs. a well-earned dinner and an encounter that will stay with me forever.”
A leopard had a very bad day hunting when it was chased back by its own prey, had to climb up to a tall tree to escape.
The video captured the leopard running away from the pursuit of a herd of zebras.
Additional Info: Unlike cheetahs, which use their super speed to hunt fast herbivores like zebras, leopards choose to ambush and surprise their prey. Adult zebras weigh approximately 400 kg.
Meanwhile, leopards only have a weight of 31 kg in adult males and even lighter in females, moreover, with the habit of hunting alone, without coordination from fellow leopards like cheetahs. It’s not easy to defeat a zebra.
However, it is not unthinkable for a leopard to kill a zebra. In fact, they can even drag the carcass of a zebra three times the weight of a leopard up a tall tree to avoid the eyes of other carnivores.
A rather rare scene took place in Sabi Sabi Game Reserve, South Africa when a hunter was chased by his prey and had to climb a tree to take refuge.
A leopard had been stalking its prey to pass under a thick bush, and then its patience paid off: A herd of zebras ran past where it ambushed. The leopard left its original position and rushed towards the horses.
However, the horses were running with such great momentum that even the young leopard couldn’t do anything. Not only that, these prey returned to chase the leopard, causing it to climb up to a high tree to escape.
The horses surrounded the bottom, making the leopard temporarily unable to escape, but could only try to climb higher to avoid the attack of the horses. The person who uploaded the video with a YouTube account, Raihan Rahman, said that the leopard was also hit by a horse’s kick!