A Safari is a truly engaging experience in which you'll be immersed in the reality that is nature. It's unscripted, unrehearsed and unique to you and your group. When returning home, you'll be sure to never walk into a zoo again, and the thought of them will actually get you quite worked up! Unscripted nature means you'll see a lot, a little or something in between. The very fortunate few will experience the emotion of a kill. You'll never forget the first one you see. It's a unique mix of excitement and sorrow, but you'll walk away with huge respect for how the animal kingdom operates.
I've lost track of the number of safaris I've been on, but I can clearly remember every kill. I've recently returned from the Masai Mara in Kenya. The wildlife was abundant and numerous calves of many species were present. This presents an amazing opportunity for the Mara's predators to not only feast, but also train their young. Earlier in the morning, we'd come across a mother cheetah with her three cubs resting under a group of trees. After observing for some time, we made our way to the Tanzanian border to capture some amazing photos of a pride of lions with new cubs. Not long after shooting the above photo, we received word that the cheetahs had captured a young gazelle. We quickly made our way back and found the cubs playfully chasing and then releasing the gazelle.
Our guide advised that the mother had caught the prey and then released it to her cubs. This was a training exercise to teach them to hunt for themselves for their eventual separation from the family. For the better part of an hour, the cubs would catch the gazelle then let it go, before chasing it again and knocking it down. It was quite emotional to watch, and we didn't know who we should be cheering for! At one point the gazelle escaped and fled towards its distant parents (watching on in vain). The mother cheetah quickly stepped in, recaptured the gazelle and returned it to her cubs to allow the training to continue.
The stamina of the gazelle was amazing. It simply would not give up, but nor did the cheetahs. Eventually, feeling her cubs had learnt enough, the mother stepped in and finished the kill. Almost like a house cat, she proudly walked past our Land Cruiser displaying the kill in her mouth. A symbol of victory? Or a warning not to step out of the vehicle!
The mother and cubs proceeded to devour the gazelle as emotions in our group swung between excitement for the power of nature we'd witnessed, and sorrow for the loss of a life. This is, however, the true circle of life that we in the human kingdom are largely sheltered from. The world's cat populations are shrinking and, while it can be hard to watch a cute young gazelle end its short time on this planet, it's somewhat heartening to see three young cheetahs gain the skills to protect their threatened species.
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