Despite being a high-level predator, the cheetah had to abandon its prey under the pressure of the lion.
A bizarre sequence of events recently unfolded at the Manyeleti Game Reserve. A lone wild dog caught a gazelle, only to have it snatched away by a solitary cheetah, which was eventually robbed of its meal by a lion!
The tour guides at Tintswalo Safari Lodge and one of their guests, Dean Robinson, captured this remarkable scene. Unfortunately, the wild dog ran too fast to be filmed, but the subsequent thrilling events were fully recorded.
The lion approaches, preparing to steal the cheetah’s prey.
Typically, wild dogs hunt in packs, but for some reason, in this instance, there was only one dog hunting alone. Suddenly, a nearby cheetah noticed the absence of companions and seized the opportunity to challenge the wild dog and take its prey.
Cheetahs are often victims of food theft, so witnessing a cheetah steal a meal from another predator is extremely rare, but the story doesn’t end there.
The cheetah, feeling quite proud, had just settled down to enjoy its meal when heavy footsteps quickly interrupted everything. Observers could almost feel the cheetah’s disappointment as it paused to scan the area around the bushes.
At this moment, everyone present felt a surge of excitement! Something was definitely concerning the cheetah, but what could it be? Then it appeared—one of the most famous lions in the reserve, the male Red Road!
This is a massive lion, and everyone thought the cheetah would run away immediately—who could blame it? But it did not run… Perhaps it felt more confident after confronting the wild dog, or maybe it was just very hungry, but it chose to stay!
The lion was completely unfazed by the cheetah’s gaze. It approached the cheetah and kept its eyes locked on it without a moment’s glance away. The cheetah stood motionless, realizing it had to try something different. The gazelle was too heavy for it to carry away, so it began to whine!
The sound was not frightening but rather sounded like a cry of disappointment, and it became even louder as the lion drew nearer. Silence followed right after as the lion changed its approach. Then, just as the lion started to charge, the cheetah hurriedly fled into the bushes for safety.
Although the outcome was predictable, the cheetah’s efforts left everyone in awe.
