01/17/2024
Cheetahs are opportunistic hunters. They hunt any available prey, in any weather conditions and at any time of the day, including night. The reason for this is that even when the environmental conditions are favorable, and prey is available, hunting may be hampered by the presence of food and territorial competitors (i.g. baboons, lions, hyenas). In most cases, they hide at a great distance, trying to be unnoticed, and patiently wait for the cheetahs to hunt. Some hyenas in the Mara have developed an advantageous strategy – to follow the cheetahs and lie down 25-30 meters away watching cheetahs. Sometimes cheetahs try to escape from unwanted pursuers, and then they go away for several kilometers and even cross the river. If there is a camp on the way to the most convenient crossing, some cheetahs will eventually develop the optimal route and fearlessly pass through the camp area to the river bank. Several times we observed Tano Bora males entering the gate of the Julia’s camp and soon crossing the Talek River. Less often hyenas lose interest and leave after a few hours. If this happens at dusk, cheetahs may begin hunting as soon as competitors are out of sight. It is easier for a coalition to catch and kill large game, and this requires the cooperation of all members of the group. Rarely does an adult male manage to take down an adult Wildebeest or Topi alone. In the Tano Bora coalition, Olonyok often started and ended the chase alone, but success was ensured when Winda helped him. For a successful hunt, males evaluate environmental conditions, and in rare cases, when circumstances interfere, one partner is unable to take part in the hunt in time, and both lose the prey. Moreover, strong ungulates (Zebra, Wildebeest, Eland, Topi) can begin to chase an unsuccessful hunter or injure a cheetah with their hooves or horns from a turn. This happened when Winda chased after the Topi alone, while Olonyok slowed down behind. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
