The moment a mother cheetah in Kᴇɴʏᴀ bravely confronted a huge lion that was attempting to ᴋɪʟʟ her young was caught on camera. A local guide recorded the dramatic events as the mother cheetah ʀɪsᴋed her own safety to defend her offspring.
A 330-pound lion, which is more than three times heavier than a cheetah, was on the prowl in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The images suggest that the ʜᴜɴᴛer’s initial attempt to separate the mother cheetah from her cubs was successful.
The mother cheetah, however, moved quickly to take action. Despite the ʜᴜɴᴛer’s size and power, the mother was ғᴇᴀʀless and maintained her position to ensure that her cubs were safe. She eventually changed into the prey, scaring the lion away. 35-year-old Kisemei Saruni, who was in the reserve at the time, captured the event on camera from 130 meters away.
According to Saruni, he was on a typical car tour when a male lion came from a bush not far from them. A leopard and her pups were present. The cheetah and the cubs were discovered by the lion as he was lazily strolling around his domain. As the lion neared the cubs, the mother cheetah originally gave up and ran, but she subsequently changed her mind and drove the lion away.
The cheetah, which is the world’s fastest mammal, can accelerate more quickly than expensive sports cars. Because of its speed and ability to cover 300 meters in a single step, a cheetah chase often lasts less than a minute.