CHEETAH SIGHTINGS - 2006

December 2006

Two relaxed sub-adult male cheetah were seen on numerous occasions around the Clarendon Dam area.

A Female Cheetah and her approximately 21-month-old cub were seen several times around Tlebe Rocks. Late in the report period the female caught a duiker and gave it to her cub to kill.

An adult male cheetah was seen once along the northern parts of the Mlowathi River

Number of different Cheetahs encountered : 5

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November 2006

A relaxed Adult Male Cheetah was seen hunting near the Windmill.

Photograph by ranger Sheldon Williams

A relaxed Adult Female Cheetah and a sub-adult male were seen at Matshapiri Dam.

A nervous Adult Male Cheetah was seen on the KNP Break, close to Emsagwen.

A Female Cheetah and her approximately 20-month-old cub were seen once near Mlowathi Dam.

A nervous Adult Female Cheetah was seen on the KNP break in the central parts of the Reserve.

Number of different Cheetahs encountered : 7

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October 2006

A relaxed adult male cheetah was seen in Jakkalsdraai Open Area on the 16th of the month. Rangers watched him chase and kill an adult female impala through the open area. It was an incredible sighting and guests were beside themselves with amazement. He fed on the kill until early evening and then moved away from the area as other predators would be on the prowl.

Photograph by ranger Sheldon Williams

A female cheetah and her approximately 19-month-old cub were found in Wild Dog Rocks Open Area on the 12th of the month. They are extremely relaxed and provide great viewing for the guests. On this occasion, the pair was seen to hunt a small group of kudu. They were unsuccessful in their attempt but have been known to take down young kudu in particular.

Photograph by ranger Bruce Hedges

The two male cheetahs that frequent Mala Mala were found on North Eastern Eyrefield on the 21st of the month. They are magnificent specimens and provided the guests with amazing viewing.

Number of different Cheetahs encountered : 5

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September 2006

A relaxed female cheetah was seen on Flockfield and Charleston on a few occasions during the report period.

A female cheetah and her approximately 19-month-old cub were seen on a few occasions on eastern Eyrefield and Flockfield. The young cheetah seems to be a male and is slightly nervous. The cheetah were followed on the hunt on a few occasions

19 month old cub - Photograph by ranger Raimund Webber

The two male cheetahs frequently seen on eastern Eyrefield were again seen on a few occasions in September. These two cheetahs were seen on Eastern Flockfield on a few occasions, scent marking in this area. They seem to have formed a strong coalition and are expanding their range into Mala Mala. One occasion had them very well fed and close by were the remains of a female warthog that these cheetahs almost certainly killed.

Two male cheetahs - Photograph by ranger Wesley Neuman

Number of different Cheetahs encountered : 5

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August 2006

Cheetah viewing was particularly good during the report period, with 10 different cheetah being sighted on one particular day during August

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Photograph by ranger Sheldon Williams

The family of cheetah in the north of the reserve, an adult female and her 3 cubs(1male and 2 females) were seen on few occasions during the report period. One sighting had them with the remains of an impala carcass, and they were seen to make two kills early in the report period.

Three sub adult cheetahs made an appearance on central Charleston on the two successive days midway through the month. The cheetahs are more than likely from the same litter, and were identified as all being males. They provided some fine viewing, killing two young impalas during one hunt.

Photograph by ranger Raimund Weber

A relaxed male cheetah was also seen in the north of the property and provided some fine viewing as he hunted on Mala Mala and Eyrefield.

A female cheetah and her approximately 18-month-old cub were seen on a few occasions during the August report period. The cheetahs were relaxed and followed on the hunt on a number of occasions.

Photograph by ranger Raimund Weber

The two male cheetahs frequently seen on eastern Eyrefield were seen on a few occasions near Clarendon Dam on north-eastern Eyrefield during the report period. One sighting had them feeding from a very large kudu bull, almost 90% of the carcass remaining when found. It seems that the cheetah made this kill which is an impressive feat for these animals. That night lions stole the kill from the cheetah.

Number of different Cheetahs encountered : 12

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July 2006

The adult female and her 3 cubs (1male and 2 females) which frequent the southern parts of the reserve were seen once this game report period, on the Golf Course. They moved west from this position and were not seen again this report period.

Photograph by ranger Tim Gaunt

The other family of cheetah in the north of the reserve, also an adult female and her 3 cubs (1male and 2 females) provided fantastic viewing, particularly in the latter parts of the report period. This family went as far south as Jakkalsdraai Open Area, but then moved steadily north from there, all the way to Clarendon Dam, providing superb viewing whenever found. They were seen 8 times, and were seen to kill on 3 of these occasions. Early in the report period, the mother cheetah caught an adult male duiker off Northern Break West Street. She did not despatch the small antelope immediately, rather allowing her cubs to finish off the unfortunate duiker. This took quite a while and was somewhat noisy, but is an essential lesson for the young cheetahs. On the other occasion, an adult female impala was killed and another adult duiker was accounted for by this brilliant hunting mother. These cubs are large now, and in the next three to six months, one may expect the mother cheetah to leave these cubs as they move toward independence.

Photograph by ranger Greg Coates

A relaxed male cheetah was found at Buffalo Bush Dam with a freshly killed adult male impala kill on the morning of the 30th of June. He was viewed as he ate his fill, and then left the area with a significant portion of meat left on the carcass. This male was again seen later on in the report period (21/7) at the Windmill, looking well fed. He had a brief altercation with a hyena here, before the animals went their separate ways.

Photograph by ranger Tim Gaunt

There was no sign of the two male cheetahs frequently seen on eastern Eyrefield this report period.

Number of different Cheetahs encountered : 9

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June 2006

Cheetah sightings were not as frequent as in June, but when sighted they provided some quality viewing. The adult female and her 3 cubs(1male and 2 females) that were frequently seen in the southern parts of the reserve in May were again seen on Southern Charleston on two successive days at the start of June. They killed an adult male impala on the last day that they were seen, before disappearing for the remainder of the month.

Photographs by ranger Graham Dyer

The other family of cheetah in the north of the reserve, this also an adult female and her 3 cubs(1male and 2 females) provided some fine viewing again in this report period. Early on, they made an appearance on the new airstrip, and went east, hunting on eastern Flockfield before returning to the airstrip the following day. They then stayed there for a few days, and killed a sub adult male impala. The cheetahs then disappeared for two weeks, returning midway through June on the new airstrip again and staying there for a few days before moving on.

A verynervous female cheetah was seen near Clarendon dam at the very start of the report period, and was not followed. A slightly nervous female was again seen close to this area a little later in the month, and in all likelihood was the same animal.

A slightly nervous male cheetah was seen on three occasions during the report period. The last time he was seen he was watching a hyena eat a freshly killed impala that he in all likelihood had killed.

Two male cheetahs were seen on eastern Eyrefield on a few occasions during the report period. The males moved through Eyrefield scent marking as they went and certainly seem to be establishing themselves in this area.

Photograph by ranger Graham Dyer

Number of different Cheetahs encountered : 13

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May 2006

As in April, cheetah viewing in May was particularly good owing to the presence of the adult female and her 3 cubs (1male and 2 females). They were seen on a number of occasions in the south of the reserve. They covered a lot of ground from the Golf Course in the south where they killed an adult female impala, to the new airstrip in the north where they killed a juvenile kudu at the start of the month, before heading southwards again midway through the month.

Another family of four cheetahs (adult female, one male and two female cubs) made an appearance on the new airstrip at the end of the month. Initially thought to be the same family as described above when found, they turned out to be a different family altogether. On one day, this being the last day if the month, all 8 cheetah from both families were seen, one family on the new airstrip and the other in the south of the reserve. Both sets of cubs look to be about the same ages, and are of the same composition, which is quite remarkable. One memorable sighting included the Kikilezi Female stalking the cheetah cubs on the old airstrip after the cubs’ mother had left them there while she hunted on the new airstrip. The leopard chased the cubs but stood no real chance of catching one due to the cheetah’s superior speed. The cubs eventually rejoined their mother unharmed on the new airstrip. The Kikilezi Female may have acted in this manner due to her having stashed her cubs in the vacinity.

Cheetah - Photographed by ranger Devon Myers

The two young males were seen a total of three times this month, once at the Old Borehole and twice at Clarendon Dam. Both sightings at Clarendon saw the cheetahs moving east into the KNP without much action other than climbing fallen over trees and scent marking. When found at the Old Borehole they were perched on top of a termite mound relaxing but vigilant and casually scanning the surroundings for potential prey.

There were four different sightings of single male cheetahs this month. In the beginning of the month ( 30/04/06 ), one was spotted moving north from Red Hawk Road after dark and was therefore not followed. A young male was also found at Matshapiri Open Area ( 4/05/06 ) but was not viewable due to its nervous nature. Two sightings of male cheetahs occurred on the New Airstrip (10& 16/05/05 ) and might have been the same individual however both moved east on both occasions into the thick Acacia scrub east of the Windsock and could not be relocated.

Photograph by ranger Tim Gaunt

A single sighting of a nervous female cheetah was also recorded ( 22/05/06 ) at Clarendon Dam.

Number of different Cheetahs encountered : 15

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April 2006

The two young males were only seen once in April, at Clarendon Dam. In an exciting morning they chased a serval, before they in turn were then chased by part of the Large Herd of buffalo. Although a close shave, both cheetahs escaped unhurt and were seen to walk north away from the scene of the incident.

The adult female with 3 cubs (slightly older than a year) was seen frequently in April, with 15 sightings being recorded. This family of cheetahs ranged widely over the whole of Mala Mala, with sightings being recorded as far north as Mlowathi Dam, and as far south as the Golf Course. Again, the hardships that cheetahs have to endure were evident in April, as this family had a close call with 2 Styx lionesses. Having just killed a sub adult impala near Campbell Koppies in the morning, the cheetahs lay in the shade of a Marula tree content and full. Unbeknown to them, two lionesses lay on top of on of the Campbell Koppies not more than three hundred metres to their south. At dusk, these two Styx lionesses descended the hill and headed straight towards the cheetahs, which they had obviously been eyeing out all day from their lofty vantage point. As the lionesses approached, the courageous mother cheetah put up a brave front and stood her ground to the lionesses as they charged, giving her cubs time to escape. At the last minute, she too bolted. In the chaos that ensued, it appeared that the mother and cubs had been separated. The lionesses were they left to themselves, apparently hot on the scent of one of the cheetahs. The worst was feared, but happily, the cheetah family was seen again over a week later on central Charleston , killing another hapless male impala. This female cheetah displayed her fine hunting skills and was seen to kill male impalas at least three times in April. On one occasion, the female cheetah released a sub adult impala that she had caught and allowed one of her cubs to hone its hunting skills and kill the unfortunate impala.

Three different sightings of single male cheetahs were recorded but it is not certain if it was a different cheetah on each occasion or the same individual. The male cheetah viewed on the 18/04 killed an adult female steenbok on Northern Side Kapen at dusk and was not relocated the next day.

Number of different Cheetahs encountered : 9

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March 2006

The two young males that have frequented Mala Mala in the past 6 months were seen twice on consecutive days. They were found at Wild Dog Rocks Open Area on the 14/03. Their gradual exposure to vehicles at Mala Mala has paid off. These cheetahs are now quite relaxed around vehicles, allowing them to be followed on the hunt, and on the15/03 where they were successful in catching a young impala near the Old Borehole. They fed for about ten minutes before being chased off by hyaenas.

The adult female with 3 one year old cubs were seen on ten days mainly during the first half of the month. The family spent a lot of time on northern Eyrefield where the mother was successful in catching an adult male impala at Mlowathi Dam and a young impala near Picadilly Triangle. After being attacked by a crocodile last month, the pressure on this family continued. First, they were chased by a Styx lioness at Campbell Koppies on the 16/03. Then, they were chased again by the son of the White Cloth Female leopard and then the rest of the Styx pride at Mlowathi Dam on the 22/03, all in one day!

A young adult male cheetah was seen once at the Windmill (11/03) and was left going east onto the Kruger National Park.

Number of different Cheetahs encountered : 7

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February 2006

Viewing of these ancient symbols of Egyptian royalty was particularly good during February. The two young males were seen on three occasions and seem to be more relaxed around landrovers, allowing them to follow them on the hunt. Their inexperience still shows, however, and they were only successful in the presence of landrovers on one occasion when they brought down a young impala in Picadilly Triangle. They finished the kill quickly and moved north where they were not relocated although their tracks the next day seemed to indicate that they had continued north off the property.

An adult female with an estimated 9 month old cub were seen on the New Air Strip at the beginning of the month and then again at Clarendon Dam later in the month where they were chased by an adult male cheetah. The attack by this male cheetah on the mother and cub seems strange as they were found gambolling in the fading afternoon sunlight when the male cheetah suddenly arrived on the scene and charged at them. All these animals were lost running at high speed in all directions making it impossible to follow them in a 3lt turbocharged Landrover Defender!

The female cheetah with three 1yr old cubs that were seen on the New Air Strip in December were seen three times during February again. The family entered Mala Mala from the KNP and traversed the entire property in a westerly direction until they got to the Sand River . The mother cheetah was determined to take her cubs across the swollen river towards the New Air Strip, but hesitated on the eastern bank of Wildebeest Crossing, spitting and snarling with her dislike of the possibility of having to get wet. She eventually placed her front paws in the water and looked set to take the plunge with her cubs waiting in anticipation behind her. Suddenly the water exploded before the mother cheetah as she was attacked by a 4m crocodile. Only her lightning quick reflexes saved her and her cubs as she sprang backwards avoiding the reptilian monster but still acquired a flesh wound beneath her left eye where the scaly sniper had caught her a glancing blow. This is the area where the buffalo cow had died two weeks previously and had been consumed in part by two large crocodiles suggesting that the attacker might have been one of these beasts that had hung around after feeding off the buffalo carcass. Surely if the family of cheetahs had entered the water at least one of them would not have been able to avoid the submerged saurian. If the mother cheetah had in fact been killed by the croc, it is likely that the three youngsters would have also eventually perished of starvation. Barely 10 minutes after the incident the mother cheetah lead her cubs to the Picadilly area where she immediately began to hunt the abundance of impala, seemingly oblivious to the ordeal she had just escaped. She was unsuccessful but demonstrated just how strong a character is needed to survive in the African Bush.

Number of different Cheetahs encountered : 9

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January 2006