A cheetah chase and kill (not gory) plus a few more photos from Porini Lion Camp June 2012

[sundowner]

If you are tender hearted don't look but there isn't any blood. And she was feeding 2 cubs.

 

We first saw her kill 2 days before this but it almost dark. This day, her cubs were nearby and it was full daylight so I have some pics. They aren't very good because they are blurry - but - it is a cheetah kill. We were very far away so these are cropped, probably 50%. I was very proud of all the vehicles waiting to see this because they all gave her plenty of room. Once she killed I wasn't so proud because immediately she was completely surrounded and very, very obviously upset. Her cubs were nearby and her path to them was cut off by vehicles surrounding her. She couldn't decide what to do - either drag the kill to the shade, get her cubs, run away.

 

I looked at the first picture before she was running fast and the time was 4:27:34 am Central US time and the end of the chase was at 4:27:41. 7 seconds. So don't blink if you think a cheetah might give chase.

 

 

[SwagatKPL]

Thank you capturing and sharing this amazing sequence. They are spectacular and show the cheetah's grace, beauty and determination.

You were lucky to be there. Sorry to hear the vehicles surrounded her so soon after the kill. When we were in the Serengeti, our guide made sure we stayed a healthy distance from cheetah cubs. Apparently they get distressed and this does not bode well for them.

Again thanks.....I can only dream of witnessing such a scene.

Cheers,

Heeten

[pault]

Great stuff. Good trip? Porini Lion good for you?

 

Vehicles thing is distressing (again).

[stokeygirl]

How fantastic! I saw a cheetah chase and kill in Feb in the Mara, but they (was a mother and 2 older cubs) very inconsiderately made the final pounce in a small thicket of bushes!

 

Porini Lion is in the Olare orok conservancy, isn't it? I'm surprised to hear of lots of vehicles there- or was this in the main reserve?

 

The grass doesn't look too high in your pics- I've been thinking about Kenya for next June and high grass was one concern. How did you find it?

[Bugs]

Awesome.

[AKR1]

Amazing, Cindy. I have seen a total of 5 cheetah kills start to finish and have never been able to get the action shots you did because either the vehicle was moving or we were too far away; just bad excuses for limited photography skills , but i know its really hard to take the pictures you posted above.

[sundowner]

Thanks, everyone! I feel very lucky to have seen this. It happens so very quickly. The people in the vehicle next to us - 2 couples and 4 or 5 well behaved children - had been waiting and waiting for the kill. When I thought Malaika was going to run I turned to tell the family and to make sure they could see her and there was only one young teenager still standing up so I'm pretty sure he's the only one that saw it.

 

Pault, I really liked Porini Lion. We were either alone or shared a vehicle with another mother/daughter couple and we were able to leave at 6:20 am and return at dark every day. Took breakfast and lunch. The 3 other times I've gone to the Mara I stayed at Governors and Little Gov. I was planning to return there this year but decided to try a new spot. I think the game viewing was pretty similar because we saw Gov vehicles everywhere but the camp was a whole different story. Yes - I will return to Porini Lion!

 

stokeygirl, yes it's in the OOC but this kill was in the Mara. The first kill we saw was in the OOC so it wasn't that crowded. And was the grass tall? YES. It greatly affected game viewing. I doubt I will return in June. June was the best time for me to be gone from home and if it happens again I will choose a different destination.

 

The cheetah had to walk forever to even find any game. We followed her for 5 hours one day and I had promised my daughter we would go in for lunch that day (and a nap) and since we were following the cheetah we skipped lunch. Well, we didn't actually skip it. Around 1:30 or 2:00 the guides radio'd the camp and they brought lunch out to us in the Mara and we ate in the vehicle. Anyway, there wasn't any game around so we figured she wouldn't kill anything so we headed back to camp early - around 5:30. We were almost there and someone radio'd us to tell us she found some game and was going to make a kill. We quickly drove back over there and just a few minutes after we arrived she did! It was getting dark by then but we were in the OOC so we didn't have to rush back.

 

The guides said the plains were empty because the animals don't like the tall grass (can't hear or see predators and can't defend themselves).

 

AKR1, I didn't get photos 2 days before because it just happend so fast! I have seen cheetah chases before but no kills. And we were so far away. My pictures aren't good either but I had to post them anyway. This is the closest I've gotten to getting photos of a chase/kill. Just keep trying and it will happen for you. I know one day I'll get great shots of a chase, great shots of a hippo yawning, great shots of a LBR flying, etc etc etc.

 

Here are some more images.

 

Yes - the grass was tall!!

 

Malaika and her two cubs

 

 

 

 

 

 

[twaffle]

Beautiful photos, love the giraffe in the grass.

 

I heard that Malaika lost a cub to a hyaena, very sad.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks, Cindy. Lovely pics ......... Loved the one of Malaika with the cubs. Stunning sunset too!

 

How did you find the guiding at Lion Porini?

[Rainbirder]

Cracking images!!!

The giraffe in the grass is particularly good!

 

Seems like you had a very productive trip.

 

[Jochen]

Great images!

 

Where's Hari? He needs 2 see this!

[twaffle]

Great images!

 

Where's Hari? He needs 2 see this!

 

He's two posts above yours Jochen!

[Jochen]

Woops.

 

The heat is getting to me.

 

[Game Warden]

Great series of images. Love the giraffe shot.

[sundowner]

Thank you for the comments!

 

Hari, I thought our guide, Jackson (silver level) did a great job. As I've already said, the grass was very high but he found a lot for us to see. He started out as a school teacher, then a guide for mobile safaris based out of Nairobi and then has been with this camp since 2006 (if I remember correctly). He is married (one wife - I asked ) with a one year old daughter and plans to stay with Porini Lion for a long time.

 

Here are some pictures of Acacia and her 5 month old cub, Fig. But it was definitely a cheetah trip

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scared cheetah

 

Better now that she has her cubs

 

Waiting for mom my while she's on top of the vehicle to be able to see over the grass.

 

Lion looking a little bedraggled from the rain.

[Sangeeta]

Loved the mom and baby shots of both cheetah and leopard. How wonderful to get both sets on their own separate termite mounds!

 

I once saw a giraffe walking in a riverbed with his head poking out a few inches above the grass, just like your guy. It was the strangest thing to see this disembodied head gliding across the savannah.

[Game Warden]

Like

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks for the info, Cindy - Love the pics of Acacia too ......... Will keep Lion Porini in mind for the future. Looks like Mara Plains will go the Mombo route shortly .......

[twaffle]

What superb photos, just love them.

[Mosquito]

wonderful photos. thanks for sharing. when was this trip?

[Shreyas]

Heck of sightings you've got there Cindy!

Should've been the mom & baby "specials" week

Cracking images, enjoying it all very much!

[ShayTay]

As always, great shots, Sundowner! I'm glad you had some good sightings, even with the tall grass.

[johan db]

Cindy,

 

Some really good stuff. You got the eye and the luck (or is it patience)!!!

[sundowner]

Sorry I missed these comments - thank you all!

 

Mosquito, this was a few months ago in June.

 

Johan, I think it takes both luck and patience!