What do you think of when you hear the word cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)?…..the fastest land mammal, a big spotty cat….well my way to describe them through my experience at Tshukudu Lodge – working with two orphaned cheetahs, Floppy and Hantas is…
A majestic mammal that encapsulates you as you see it sweep through the iridescent South African landscape, as if it was a Ferrari, yet more nimble – making sudden turns to pursuit prey. At other times however, as chilled as Bob Marley, lounging in the shade or posing for photos. This is exactly the nature of Floppy and Hantas!
A perfect example – the cheetahs have warmed to me now so I stopped by Hantas having a chill on the lodge grounds and thought I would share his debut selfie – he also has amazing skills with an iPhone!
Don’t get me wrong they’re still wild predators with the potential to be lethal (Floppy and Hantas hunt in the reserve during the day – cheetahs being diurnal animals) but at times, join you for a stroll on a bush walk with guests – just like the bush walk I joined today. What a unique and exceptional experience, especially when cheetahs are typically known to be fairly solitary animals!
The way that the staff at the lodge understand them is incredible and it is this expertise why the opportunity to walk side-by-side with them is possible.
On this particular walk today, we also bumped into a herd of buffalo (Syncerus caffer) crossing over the dam near the lodge. Buffalo are gregarious, occurring in herds of about 50 – their huge presence confirms the reason why you should always keep your distance!
The cheetahs posed at the close of the walk for the guests as if they were Naomi Campbell and the day came to a close….what a great way to spend the day!
Carnivores and Conservation 