The Cheetah Learns a Life Lesson and Nearly Loses Its Life in a Moment of Inattention.
In the wild, things do not always end when a predator takes down its prey. This is because, alongside the life-and-death struggle between the hunter and the hunted, there is another equally fierce challenge: the competition among hunters.
The clip shared by the Maasai Sightings channel showcases the harshness of nature, as a cheetah, having just taken down its prey, becomes the target of a lion’s pursuit.
Perhaps the cheetah was so engrossed in its triumph that it became complacent and lost awareness of its surroundings.
This created a “golden” opportunity for the lion to attack. It stealthily circled around from behind before charging at full speed.
Despite having very keen senses, the cheetah only realized the lion’s presence when it was almost within striking distance.
Immediately, it dodged the lethal bites and narrowly escaped thanks to its agility.
Witnessing the cheetah’s escape, the lion showed no signs of concern, as its initial goal was likely to steal the meal rather than to take down the animal.
Cheetahs rarely fight lions due to their physical structure not being suited for this. Therefore, they often make the wiser choice to flee (Photo: Getty).
Lions are known as supreme predators and are the top carnivores in the savannah due to their abundant prey population, as well as their perfect combination of speed and strength.
In addition to hunting in organized groups, lions frequently steal prey or kill other predators such as leopards, cheetahs, and spotted hyenas to reclaim dominance.
In fact, a statistic from the Masai Mara National Reserve (South Africa) shows that lions steal prey more often than hyenas. This is because the size and strength of lions can completely overpower smaller feline species like leopards and cheetahs in areas where they coexist.
Lions are also willing to scavenge when the opportunity arises. Many witnesses have observed them feeding on the carcasses of animals that have died from natural causes such as disease or being killed by other predators.
Despite being considered the most successful hunters on the savannah, their numbers are rapidly declining at a rate of approximately 30-50% every 20 years since the late 20th century. They are even listed as a near-threat species in the IUCN Red List.
The main causes of this decline include disease, climate change leading to habitat loss, prey scarcity, changes in water sources, and human intervention. Among these, habitat loss and conflict with humans are considered the most significant threats to this large cat species.
