Limpopo Carnivores

Well, the cameras have been out and we are starting to get a few photos.

The first one is on farmland where two male cheetahs are checking out the scent marks left by other cheetahs on this water pump. You may think of cheetahs as being typically diurnal species, but we have found that on farmland they are often active at night. I think this is because of the fact that on most farmland areas there are no lions forcing cheetahs to be active during the heat of the day when they are sleeping it off under a tree. Added to that is the fact that farmers often replace lions as the cheetah’s biggest threat, and they tend to be more active during the day.

The second photo is the back end of a pair of cheetahs that have been active in a particular area all week. They were seen at the beginning of the week with Joan, our collared female, and have stayed in the same area. Sadly, the fact that Joan was fraternising with adult male cheetahs just a week or two after her expected due date suggests that she has lost her cubs and come back into heat. Perhaps it is a blessing in disguise, and she will have her cubs in another 3 months at the onset of the Impala lambing season when food to feed her growing family will be readily available.