CHEETAH SIGHTINGS - 2003
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December 2003
Cheetah viewing proved dismal over the December period and goodness knows why. This time of year, with the abundance of baby impalas, is usually a time of plenty for these swift predators and good sightings are anticipated. As it was, there was perhaps a maximum of three cheetahs seen, these in only four separate encounters, one of which was but a fleeting glimpse at night-time - fleeting since there is no using of spotlight for the viewing of cheetahs at Mala Mala.
There were two sightings of an adult male cheetah (almost certainly the same individual on both occasions), both of these towards the northeastern corner of Mala Mala and one sighting of an adult female, also in this general area of the reserve.
But why the lack of numbers? Perhaps the abundance of other large predators has been responsible for the lack of cheetahs. Large numbers of lions were seen this month and there was also plentiful leopard activity and these would certainly have made cheetahs think twice about operating in the same area. And, with drought conditions biting, perhaps the cheetahs have found small waterholes (possibly man-made), a distance away from the bigger ones along the Sand River and which cater mostly for antelopes such as impalas, these not so attractive to the lions which are feasting on the bigger prey species, concentrating along the rivers and weakened by the lack of food.
Approximate number of different Cheetahs encountered: 3
November 2003
Three sightings at the beginning of the game-report-period of an adult female cheetah and her approximately two-year-old son. These encounters were on successive days and occurred on the NW parts of the reserve. The female cheetah had fresh wounds on one of her rear legs, these probably the result of some or other encounter with a stronger predator such as a lion, leopard or hyaena. But, as raw as the wounds appeared, they didn't seem to hamper her too much. The two cheetahs were seen to move southwards until they killed an adult female impala, rested for a day-and-a-half and then weren't seen again.
A female cheetah, nervous of landrovers, was seen on western Flockfield; this animal probably spends most of her time within the Kruger National Park in areas where vehicles are scarce.
There were six separate sightings of male cheetahs, these perhaps of two different animals. Two sightings were on NE Eyrefield, one towards SW Eyrefield, two on SW Mala Mala and one on the western parts of the Charleston/ Flockfield boundary. With this last sighting, the cheetah, looking well fed, was seen moving eastwards away from the Sand River, when it walked past a female leopard lying near an impala carcass. When the leopard saw the cheetah, she gave chase and kept chasing for at least half-an-hour. The cheetah easily outpaced the leopard, but must have been somewhat surprised at the ferocity of the chase. The leopard was frothing at the mouth, roaring and running behind the cheetah, eventually leaving it after having pursued it for perhaps more than a kilometre. With both the cheetah and the leopard eating the same antelope, the two cats would be sworn enemies. But if the cheetah is aware of the aggression likely to be encountered in the area, chances are that he'll give it a miss and the leopard will have just that much more to herself.
Approximate number of different Cheetahs encountered: 5
October 2003
The scarred female cheetah which recently abandoned a 22-month-old daughter was seen probably six times this month, mostly towards the southern parts of the reserve, but once on the Mala Mala airstrip. With this latter sighting, it was apparent that whilst the cheetah appears healthy in terms of general body condition, her one-and-a-half-year-old wounds are still troubling her slightly. It is not certain whether she is pregnant or not, although one expects that this would be the case.
A young female cheetah, thought to have been the nearly two-year-old daughter of the scarred female, was seen towards the very beginning of this months report-period, this on NW Flockfield near Harrys Camp.
There were two sightings on successive days on western Toulon of an adult female cheetah and her four approximately two-month-old cubs. The female cheetah was seen killing an adult male impala, but the next day she and the cubs left the area. A kill of such size would surely not be finished by the cheetahs and would attract all sorts of unwanted scavengers and this no doubt encouraged the cheetah to leave the area with her cubs.
A cheetah, very nervous of landrovers, was seen briefly on eastern Flockfield. The animal fled when approached by a single landrover and was not followed when it ran off. Such an animal probably spends most of its life inside wilderness areas of the nearby Kruger which are nearly devoid of vehicle activity.
An adult female cheetah and her approximately two-year-old son were seen at the end of the report-period on southern-central Eyrefield. This was the same pair seen earlier this year in April; at that time the son was estimated to be one-and-a-half-years of age. The female has obvious scars on her left rear leg and the nearly black end of her tail is probably the result of having had the white tip bitten off at some stage, perhaps in the same conflict which caused the scarring on her leg. Her son has a noticeably white end to his tail. When seen, both cheetahs appeared to be settling down for the night in an open area.
A relaxed adult female cheetah was seen on NE Charleston, quite close to the central border between Mala Mala and the Kruger National Park.
There were three sightings of male cheetahs this month, these comprising at least two different animals. The three sightings occurred on north-central Charleston, southwestern Mala Mala and NW Charleston respectively.
Approximate number of different Cheetahs encountered: 13
September 2003
The scarred female cheetah and her approximately 21-month-old daughter were seen several times this month, but only once together and this near the beginning of September and towards the southwestern parts of the reserve. At that time there was quite obvious aggression directed at the youngster by the mother. Ten days later, a young female cheetah, thought to be the daughter of the scarred female, was found on NW Charleston, west of the Sand River, alone and hunting. She flushed a bushbuck, caught and nearly killed it. The bleating antelope, inexpertly held by the young cheetah, attracted the attentions of a nearby pride of lions which came rushing in and stole the prey. The young cheetah was lucky to have escaped with her life. The next day and several kilometres to the north of where this particular incident had occurred, there was a brief sighting of a young female cheetah, again probably this particular one. And, six days later, what was almost certainly this same youngster was seen on the Mala Mala Airstrip, an area which she and her mother have made much use of. On this same day, the scarred female was also located, but many kilometres further south on western Toulon. The chasing off of a youngster so that it can start a life of its own and so that the mother can prepare for another litter is of course part and parcel of life for most of these predators. One always hopes, however, that, when the time comes, the youngster is suitably equipped to survive. But, having spent nearly two years with its mother, this perhaps longer than average, and in an area full of dangers, the daughter of the scarred female should by now be most capable of handling life. It is not known whether the scarred female has mated again or not.
Towards the beginning of the month, two probably less-than-two-year-old cheetahs, one male, the other female, were seen near the southeastern parts of Charleston, not far northwest of the confluence of the Chellahanga and the Sand Rivers. One assumes that they are brother and sister, recently chased away by their mother, to start lives on their own. Such a pair could be expected to stay together for a few months before parting company. These two were seen to head towards the nearby Sand River, perhaps to drink and then away again, en route chasing after some impala which they failed to catch.
An adult female cheetah was seen towards the western parts of the Eyrefield/ Mala Mala boundary, heading westwards, hunting as it went. It was not seen to catch anything and wasn't located again.
There were a total of six sightings of male cheetahs this month, representing maybe as many as three different animals. The one youngish male (which had been seen the previous day on the western bank of the lower parts of the Matshapiri River) was seen catching an adult female impala very close to Harry's Camp and another, towards the beginning of the game-report-period, was found lying near the scraps of an impala kill south of the Mala Mala Main Camp. A leopard, attracted by vultures descending to the scraps, arrived and appropriated what was left. Three of the male-cheetah-sightings were on Mala Mala's eastern border with the Kruger National Park, but each several kilometres from the other. These eastern areas are probably more lion-free and hence more cheetah-friendly than the game-rich riverine parts of the reserve.
Approximate number of different Cheetahs encountered: 8
August 2003
Cheetah viewing at Mala Mala was not good during August, the relative scarcity of animals almost certainly the result of the abundance of other predators, their enemies. As is so typical in ecology, the distribution of a species is influenced largely (and maybe primarily) not by the availability of its energy requirements, but by its vulnerability to its competitors in particular locations. So no matter how many impalas and other catchable food items may be around for the cheetahs, if they are too vulnerable to the lions, leopards, hyaenas and so forth, it is not worth their while and they will seek out quieter pastures.
There were eight encounters with the scarred female cheetah and
her approximately 20-month-old daughter. These two cheetahs made
up the bulk of cheetah viewing during August and were seen hunting
from south to north and then, towards months end, heading in the opposite
direction. When first encountered, they were not far from Kirkman's
Camp and were seen stalking and chasing a large herd of impalas; this
attack failed, but they were found on a dead impala later on in the
day. From here the cheetahs moved to central Mala Mala, leaving the
area within a short period, probably the result of having been harassed
by a hyaena. A day or so later they were near the northern sections
of the reserve and looking set to continue this way. Both cheetahs
remain in good condition, this in spite of the fact that some of the
wounds on the female have yet to fully heal. One wonders how long
it will be before she chases her daughter off to start a life of her
own.
There was a brief sighting of a cheetah at night on NW Toulon; nighttime viewing of cheetahs is forbidden on Mala Mala and the sighting was discontinued.
A lone female cheetah was seen on western Eyrefield, along the Mlowathi River.
July 2003
There
were two encounters with the scarred female cheetah and her approximately
19-month-old daughter. These sightings, one on the Mala Mala Airstrip,
the other on central Charleston, were nearly three weeks and 10 kilometres
part. The cheetahs seem to be in good health, although open wound area
is still visible on the mother, this from injuries sustained during
a lion attack in May last year. When seen on central Charleston, the
cheetahs flushed, chased and killed a young steenbok. Such a meal,
consumed quickly, is ideal for cheetahs since it attracts little attention
from their many enemies.One sighting of a cheetah, shy of landrovers, on the western parts of the Mala Mala/ Flockfield Boundary.
There were two sightings, on successive days, of a female cheetah and her two 16-month-old cubs. These cheetahs were seen on SW Toulon and when found on the first day were eating from the carcass of a young kudu which they had just killed. The cheetahs, still full from their feed, moved westwards the following day.
There were 10 sightings of solitary female cheetahs. Judging from the locations of the various sightings and the relaxed nature of the cheetah seen on each occasion, it may well have been the same animal encountered each time, the cheetah moving from south to north through the reserve over the course of just over two weeks.
Approximate number of different Cheetahs encountered: 8
June 2003
3
sightings of a female cheetah and her approximately 20-month-old
son. These two, the female with a black tail-tip, this probably
the result of the end having been bitten off at some stage, and the
male with a very white tail-tip, were the same two which killed the
young female nyala at the very end of last months viewing period. This
month they were seen moving southwards from the Campbell Koppies area,
reaching the lower parts of the Kapen River on SW Flockfield within
only a few days. Instead of crossing the Sand River, however, they
moved northwards once more, heading upstream along the Matshapiri River
before again angling north and west, reaching the same large open area
where they had eaten the nyala a few days earlier. As is so often the
case in this particular spot, prey animals were abundant, but also characteristically
alert and when the cheetahs found themselves with impala ahead of them,
they were not in the ideal position to launch an attack and for a couple
of hours the cheetahs had to lie absolutely still, hoping that they
would not be seen and also that the impalas would move into a position
which they could take advantage of. But, when the latter eventually
happened, the sun had already set and it was quite dark when female
cheetah sprinted in towards a line of impala walking obliquely past
her. The chase was long and across an open area, but the cheetah won,
catching a young female impala. Death for the winded impala was quick
and equally speedy were the two cheetah in starting to feed, no doubt
realising that they had attacked and caught prey at a time when their
greatest enemies, the lions, leopards and hyenas, are usually most active.
For a while it seemed as if they would get away with it, but then a
young hyena came skulking along, no doubt having been attracted to the
area by the alarm calls of the impalas, and soon found the cheetahs
and their kill. From there it was a formality; the hyena took the kill
and the cheetahs moved off, watching from the sidelines as their food
vanished. There were no further sightings of this pair this month.
Two
sightings of an adult male cheetah, both towards the northeastern
parts of the reserve and on successive days. The cheetah, one quite
regularly seen in this area, had killed a young female kudu and was
found when he had finished eating all he could and moved away from the
remains.
Two sightings, two weeks apart, both along the Mlowathi River, of a lone female cheetah. Chances are that each sighting was of the same animal. On both occasions the cheetah was seen soon after the sun had set and so on both occasions, the sighting was abandoned. Since it is suspected that cheetahs' eyes are negatively affected if spotlights are shone on them at night, there is no viewing of these predators after dark at Mala Mala. The first encounter with the cheetah had it dashing in after a herd of impalas, which it missed. On the second occasion when it was seen, the cheetah was staring intently at a duiker, but this moved off and the cheetah headed away, probably more interested in finding a safe area to sleep in than on any further hunting.
A nervous female cheetah was seen close to the central parts of the Mala Mala/ Kruger National Park border. The cheetah was clearly uncomfortable in the presence of landrovers and the sighting was abandoned.
There were at least three encounters with the scarred female cheetah and her approximately 18-month-old daughter. This is the female cheetah which survived the lion-mauling in May last year. When first seen, halfway through the June game-report-period, the two were opposite the Mala Mala Main Camp and heading westwards. They crossed the Sand River and moved towards the Mala Mala Airstrip and then westwards from there. Although the cheetahs were seen to chase after impala on this occasion, they failed to catch one. When seen again, two weeks later, they were towards the very northern parts of the Mlowathi River, looking in good condition, but lean. Some impalas nearby attracted their attention, but it was nearly sunset and conditions for hunting were not ideal. The following morning, a windy day, the two were found close to the lower reaches of the Mlowathi River, moving generally southwards, clearly in search of food. After several aborted attempts, the pair headed eastwards, away from the Sand River, moving through heavier brush. The first animals they encountered were kudus and although the antelope probably saw the cheetahs a fraction before the cheetahs noticed them, they were close enough for the cheetahs to pursue. After a long and turning chase, the adult female cheetah caught and killed a young kudu. The long sprint had winded the cheetah and it was some time before she found the breath to call her daughter, which had all this time been waiting close to where the chase had started, calling frantically. Although vultures eventually arrived at the scene of the kill, the cheetahs managed to eat all that they could.
A brief sighting of two cheetahs towards the upper parts of the Mlowathi River at nighttime was almost certainly of the above-mentioned pair. The two were not investigated further due to the restrictions of shining bright lights on cheetahs at night.
Approximate number of different Cheetahs encountered: 7
May 2003
Cheetahs were surprisingly scarce during the May game-viewing period; surprising since with the impala rutting season on the go, hunting for these creatures would be relatively easy and cheetahs could be expected to make full use of the opportunity. But perhaps other factors, such as lion, leopard & hyena activity played a role. These other predators would certainly also have taken advantage of easy-to-catch impalas and their presence would certainly have deterred the weaker cheetahs.
As it was, there were only four sightings of 7 different cheetahs this month:
An adult male cheetah was seen towards the northeastarn parts of the reserve.
An adult female cheetah was found to the north of the Kapen River on Flockfield. She was lean but in good condition and moved westwards, clearly on the lookout for prey. But her plans were somewhat thwarted, both by the arrival of sunset (cheetahs do not really like hunting or being with a carcass when it is dark, a time when some of their more 'serious' enemies are more likely to be roaming around) as well as the arrival of a young female leopard. The leopard did what every leopard is expected to do when it sees a cheetah, and that is, give chase. Although it had no hope of catching the cheetah, its annoying harassment would certainly have encouraged the cheetah to move on in search of a less hostile area.
Three well-fed cheetahs - an adult female and her two approximately one-year-olds - were found resting on NW Toulon, not far from Kirkman's Kamp.
Approximate number of different Cheetahs encountered: 7
April 2003
There were 6 sightings of a female cheetah with an approximately 16-month-old daughter. This same female still carries the scars from a bad mauling she received by lions last May. All sightings were towards the beginning of the report-period and started in the environs of the Mala Mala Airstrip. The first sighting was of the female cheetah calling her daughter to a freshly killed adult female impala. Thereafter, the pair headed for the airstrip and this is where they were seen for most of the subsequent sightings. Once they had been around the airstrip for several days, a male cheetah appeared on the scene and although the different animals were not seen to make contact, the arrival of the male coincided with the female and her daughters' departure from the area. The two cheetahs then crossed westwards through the Sand River and then moved north up the Mlowathi River, towards the area where in May last year the 'lion incident' occurred.
There were perhaps three sightings of the same adult female together with her approximately 14-month-old daughter. The pair was first seen towards the southwestern parts of the reserve when they were seen chasing but failing to catch an impala, this after the sun had already set. Two days later, there was a brief sighting of a pair of cheetahs on the Mala Mala Airstrip, but this was after dark when no viewing of cheetahs with lights is permitted at Mala Mala, due to the sensitivity of their eyes to these bright lights. The following day, however, probably these same animals and definitely the same pair as was towards the southwestern parts of Mala Mala a few days earlier, were found in an open area adjacent to the lower parts of the Matshapiri River. Soon after they were located, they headed eastwards, hunting as they went. But the only animal that they encountered was a duiker which flushed at their feet and which they failed to catch.
4 sightings of two approximately 15-month-old males; these are believed to be the sons of the female cheetah which had the prominent white tail tip, seen on the reserve at the beginning of January this year with these two, and believed to have been the daughter of the female so badly mauled by lions last May. When the trio were seen in January, the sons were very shy in the presence of vehicles, but their mother was not, hinting that whilst she had been brought up with landrovers around her, she and her sons had probably spent their first year inside the nearby Kruger National Park in an area where exposure to vehicles would have been almost non-existent. Subsequent encounters with landrovers have calmed the brothers down. Now, however, it appears that something has happened to their mother, perhaps killed by another predator, perhaps in a freak accident, forcing them into premature independence. It is often said that cheetahs can expect to spend 16 months or longer with their mother before being abandoned. And of course the longer they can stay, the more they can learn and the more capable they should be when they inevitably have to fend for themselves. But with these two, this time of facing the world alone has come sooner than expected and the battle to survive will be harder than usual. But, over the nearly two weeks that the four sightings of these two took place, they appeared to remain in good physical and mental condition; the last sighting towards the very south of Mala Mala was of them playing together. So all in all they may make it.
There was a single sighting of a female cheetah and her approximately 18-month-old son. The pair was seen towards the northeastern parts of the reserve. The female had two noticeable scars on her left rear leg.
There were two sightings of a male cheetah in the vicinity of the Mala Mala Airstrip. At the time, a female cheetah and her daughter were also in the area and although the male was not seen to make contact with the other two, his arrival coincided with their departure from the area.
An adult female cheetah was seen near the central parts of the Mala Mala/ Kruger National Park boundary.
There were two sightings of a male cheetah near the northeastern corner of Mala Mala, an individual often seen towards the northern parts of the reserve.
Approximate number of different Cheetahs encountered: 11
March 2003
There were 5 sightings of a female cheetah with an approximately 15-month-old daughter. This same female was the one which was so badly mauled by a lion last May. Some of these wounds are still open, but the cheetah appears to be oblivious of these slowly healing wounds and both she and her daughter appear to be doing well. They were seen on five successive days, all on or within the general surrounds of the Mala Mala airstrip, a popular place for cheetahs. The open terrain of the airstrip allows cheetahs to observe any of their numerous enemies before they suddenly surprise them. Typically cheetahs seem to move towards such an open area, use it for a week or so as a springboard for launching hunting forays into the adjacent bushveld and then returning to it during times of vulnerability, these particularly the hours of darkness or when they can afford to rest with full bellies.
Three sightings of probably the same adult male cheetah towards the northeastern corner of Mala Mala. On one of these sightings the cheetah was found eating a young warthog; this could very well have been the cheetah which killed a warthog piglet in January this year. Cheetahs generally avoid warthogs; not only do they have thick necks which could prove difficult for a cheetah to grasp when trying to kill one, but the tusks of a warthog, particularly a protective adult, can produce fearsome wounds.
Approximate number of different Cheetahs encountered: 3
February 2003
A female cheetah and two approximately 1-year-1-month-old male cubs were seen three times this month. The adult female cheetah of this group has a very prominent white tail-tip and is thought to be the 3.3 year old daughter of the female cheetah which survived a lion attack last May and which currently has an approximately one-year-old daughter. When this female with the white tail-tip and her sons were first seen on Mala Mala at the beginning of the year, the youngsters were very nervous around landrovers. Evidence suggested that they had spent their first year in the nearby Kruger National Park where they would simply not have been exposed to vehicles as happens on places such as Mala Mala. But now, after accompanying their mother in this area, the youngsters are far more tolerant of vehicles and will surely soon settle down completely. The first two sightings of this trio this month were at the very beginning of this game-report-period, two days and nearly 20 kilometres apart. All three cheetahs were seen near the northern parts of the Mlowathi River, quite close to some lions. The cheetahs seemed aware of the lions and moved north off the reserve. Two days later they were found on southwestern Charleston, perhaps 20 kilometres from the northern end of the Mlowathi River. On this occasion, the cheetahs were feasting off an adult male impala. The carcass had been dragged beneath a fallen tree and was well-concealed from scavengers and the three cheetahs spent the day making maximum use of such a large prize. The last sighting of these three cheetahs this month was towards the very end of February and they were once more in the south of the reserve. They were seen chasing after both kudu and impala but failed to catch anything. Interestingly, however, when some hyenas arrived to menace them, the mother of the two cubs stood her ground, no doubt to protect her youngsters, but surely also since this is what she had learned from her mother.
There were 9 sightings of a female cheetah with an approximately 14-month-old daughter. This is the same female cheetah which was mauled by lions last May and still bears the scars of that encounter. This month they spent 9 consecutive days either on the Mala Mala airstrip or in its general surrounds, using the wide-open area as a rest place before heading off to hunt nearby. On one occasion, a male lion approached her and her daughter, but instead of running from it, the adult cheetah snarled and hissed and refused to be panicked into running away. The male lion reluctantly moved off. Although the two cheetahs were never seen actually catching anything, several attempts were witnessed and they were often seen returning to the strip with full bellies, evidence of success after what was probably mostly noon-day hunts. Hunting in the heat of the day is not uncommon for cheetahs since this would be a time when some of their major enemies - lions, leopards and hyenas - would not be so active. The open area of the airstrip also provides the cheetahs with a good view of any approaching competitors. But perhaps some of the best entertainment provided from this pair came in the form of the antics of the youngster, now in the stages of learning to hunt. With many other creatures sharing the runway with the cheetahs, there were opportunities aplenty for the young female to test her skills. Amongst the creatures to catch her attention were birds and a family of warthogs. Of the birds, she was seen pursuing Guineafowl, Knobbilled ducks, Egyptian Geese and flocks of Redbilled Queleas. The Queleas fly in dense swarms of probably several hundred birds, settling on grass to eat the seeds before rolling on again. These clouds of birds fascinated the young cheetah and although she probably never managed to catch a single one of the small birds, she was often able to dash in amongst them just as they were taking off. But her most important lessons probably came from the warthogs, which consisted of three adults and five piglets. Whilst the adult female cheetah watched, the youngster would stalk the warthogs, which were mostly very aware of the cheetahs; their apparent lack of concern probably puzzled the young cheetah. Warthogs have dangerous tusks and most adult cheetahs leave them well alone. The young cheetah and the warthogs had an ongoing interaction. All the warthogs wanted to do was feed on the seeding grasses of the airstrip and all that the young cheetah wanted to do was catch one of the youngsters. At times it looked so easy; one of the youngsters would perhaps stray a few yards further or lag behind the others and the cheetah would dash towards them. But it was a mission impossible; the adult warthogs simply charged back at the cheetah and the deadly hunter was suddenly running from an irate warthog. This conflict continued until the cheetahs eventually left the area to seek out other relatively undisturbed hunting spots.
A single female cheetah spent nearly a week on the Mala Mala Airstrip or nearby, using it as a springboard for her forays into the surrounding area. This took place during the middle of February.
Towards the beginning of the game-report period, a single female cheetah was seen on NE Charleston, near the border with the Kruger National Park. She was quite relaxed in the presence of vehicles.
There was only one sighting of a male cheetah this month; the cheetah was seen sprinting after a young wildebeest near the northeastern corner of Mala Mala. The cheetah missed and wandered north.
Approximate number of different Cheetahs encountered: 8
January 2003
Cheetah viewing was good for the first few weeks of this game-report period and then they seemed to completely vanish from the reserve.
There were four sightings of probably two different adult male cheetahs, both of which are well known to the northern parts of Mala Mala, which is where these encounters occurred. All sightings were of fine quality, three of them involving the cheetahs making kills. Two of the kills were baby impalas and the other, interestingly enough, was a young warthog. As a rule, certainly in this area, cheetahs are most wary of warthogs and will typically give them a wide berth. Young cheetahs always show interest in warthogs, particularly if they have piglets, but are invariably repulsed by the adult warthogs when their interest gets a little too keen. On this occasion, the male cheetah had been stalking impala which kept moving away from him. He lay down, seemingly no longer interested in the impala, when a family of warthogs suddenly came jogging past him. With hardly a moment's hesitation, the cheetah sprang into action, rapidly overhauled the warthogs and caught one of the youngsters. Two adult warthogs were close by, a male and female, the latter almost certainly the mother, and immediately gave chase, the male making loud clacking noises with his tusks. But the cheetah was too fast and ran too far and the warthogs gave up, leaving the cheetah to get his breath back and eat his meal before the vultures could gather in sufficient numbers to chase it away.
Probably
the same mother and approximately one-year-old daughter pair
of cheetahs was seen on successive days at the beginning of this game-report
period. The cheetahs were towards the very northeastern corner of Mala
Mala and were not encountered again.
At the beginning of this game-report period there was a single sighting of what appeared to be two nervous male cheetahs. The animals were afraid of landrovers and scampered off towards the nearby Kruger National Park where they probably spend most of their time.
The young adult female cheetah, which spent a fair amount of last month towards the southwestern parts of Mala Mala near Kirkmans Kamp, was seen four times, right at the beginning of this game-report period, still doing well out of the local impala population. After she had eaten all she could from one of the young impalas she had killed early one morning, no more than three hundred metres from Kirkman's Kamp, the cheetah moved off and a young warthog came along to scavenge some of the remains before being frightened off by half-a-dozen or so vultures.
There were two sightings of probably the same adult female cheetah, three days apart and both in the general area of the mid reaches of the Matshapiri River.
A
female cheetah and two approximately 1-year-old male cubs were
seen three times this month, the first being near the central eastern
parts of the reserve. Whilst the mother was quite relaxed, the youngsters
were not and ran off when the first landrover approached their position.
The female cheetah had a conspicuously white tail tip, this far more
pronounced than is usually the case with cheetahs. The relaxed nature
of the adult female cheetah suggests that she has grown up with landrovers,
but has probably spent the last year at least inside the Kruger National
Park where exposure to gamedrive vehicles - or vehicles of any kind
in many areas - is almost nil; the latter would of course account for
her cubs' nervousness when approached by a landrover. A little less
than two years ago, the female cheetah with the scars from the lion
attack in May last year and which currently has a single approximately
one-year-old daughter (this pair was not seen this month), abandoned
two daughters at approximately 16 or 17 months of age. One of the daughters
had a prominent white tail tip and the pair stayed together for some
time before finally going their separate ways. Chances are good that
this particular female cheetah seen this month with her two sons is
the 39-month-old daughter of the scarred female.
The following evening, after this trio was seen near the central-eastern parts of Mala Mala, close to the Kruger National Park boundary, they were found on the Mala Mala Airstrip, standing off from the carcass of an adult male impala which must have been killed in the early hours of darkness. Cheetahs seldom hunt at night since this is the time when some of their most powerful enemies, the lions, leopards and hyenas, are most active and so most likely to find them at a kill. Since the rules of cheetah viewing at Mala Mala do not permit the shining of spotlights on them - on account of the understanding that their vision is rather sensitive to these bright lights - the sighting was discontinued. At this time all expectations were that the cheetahs would lose their kill overnight. However, the following morning at sunup, it was found that no significant scavenger had discovered the kill and all three cheetahs were busy feeding. As soon as their bellies were as full as could be, the cheetahs moved off, leaving a still substantial amount of meat behind. By this time a jackal had arrived and several vultures were gathering. Within an hour, fifty or more vultures were descending and the kill vanished. The cheetahs kept moving and were not encountered again during the January game-report-period.
Approximate number of different Cheetahs encountered: 11
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