Malaika and Hodari

19.12.2016
To keep a kill safe from kleptoparasites and to eat as much as possible before other predators detect it, cheetahs use different strategies: dragging kills into bushes, into patches of tall grass or into holes. Additionally, they feed on the muscle meat of the hindquarters and shoulders of ungulates without opening the abdomen of the kill. In the event potential kleptoparasites appear, cheetahs lie down huddled close to the ground concealing themselves.
Three days ago, when Hodari made a kill, hungry Malaika with two cubs appeared on the scene, watching him from a distance. After some time, she decided to pass by the male, who displayed the behavior of an unsure animal by lying down near the kill. In some cases, cheetahs scavenge from each other, but having small cubs, females choose not to, so as to ensure the safety of their cubs. As cubs learn survival strategies from their mothers, such incidents teach them how to avoid conflicts by displaying confident behavior in the presence of conspecifics.