04/23/2022
Of all predators, lions and hyenas pose the greatest threat to cheetah cubs in the wild. It is especially difficult for cheetah families during feeding time, because kleptoparasites, for example, hyenas, can appear at the spot at any time of the day. Spotted hyenas are successful hunters, but do not miss the opportunity to snatch someone else’s prey. Moreover, they can kill and eat cheetah cubs. Therefore, female cheetahs use different strategies to survive. They drag a kill sometimes for over 100 meters to the thick bush. In the open area, they hide a kill in tall grass or in a shallow depression in the soil, and open abdomen last. If a female with a kill notices a hyena in an open area, she prefers to draw the predator’s attention to her food and sacrifice it in order to save the life of her offspring. Hearing mother’s growling, cubs usually crawl or run away to a safe distance while the mother deals with the intruder. Three days ago, Selenkei had almost finished eating Thomson’s gazelle when she spotted a hyena in the distance. She sat down and began to howl along with the cub, and then made loud calls, which quickly attracted the attention of a hyena at the other end of the field. When hyena began to approach, the cub ran away, crouching and remaining unnoticed, while the mother continued to sit, drawing attention to herself and food. Only after the hyena grabbed the carcass and carried it away, Selenkei rushed to her cub. While the hyena was busy eating prey, a family of cheetahs walked safely across the field.