Kgalagadi Cheetah Sightings - CURRENT

[Mel]

Bedi & 2 remaining Cubs
30/03/2015 about 1 km north of Kannaguass

During the night it had rained hard for 7 hours straight, so we didn't expect much apart from seeing the Nossob river flowing.

But what we got was Cheetahs on the Beach!


The male cub:


The female cub with the male behind it and Bedi on the left:


The female cub:


Tug-of-war between the cubs:

Female on the left, male on the right.

Tug-of-war between the whole family:

Left to right: Bedi, male cub, female cub

We sat with them for 8 hours straight with a loo break of 30 minutes going to the camp and coming back. I had hoped for them to get up at some point and come closer to us, but it never happened and eventually we gave up waiting. Inbetween it had always rained on and off, but they could be bothered and stayed with their kill, determined to finish the job they had to give up the day before. They did well as their bellies were huuuge and moving was clearly a nuisance to them.

[Mel]

Benny, Choo & Fancy
09/01/2015 at Kij Kij

© GavinW
Benny standing, Choo lying in front.

[Mel]

Musketeers
01/04/2015 just a tad north of the northern exit of 13th loop

I was able to positively identify Aramis, D'Artagnan and Athos - Porthos only by exclusion...
Posted in chronological order.

Aramis left, Porthos on the dunes


Porthos left, Athos right


From left to right: Aramis, D'Artagnan, Porthos on top of the dunes and Athos.




D'Artagnan left, Aramis right

[Mel]

Caster & 2 grown cubs
03/04/2015 about 2.5 km north of Grootkolk Camp

There was a bit of confusion with this sighting because everybody thought this was Bedi and her cubs. Yet, Bedi had been at Kannaguass (13 km south of this sighting) only 4 days before and I had actually thought she was moving southwards rather than north...

We would have actually missed this sighting because the three of them had been lying low but our neighbours at GK who knew from Andries that I was into the cheetahs made the effort to collect us at camp after we had just returned home from the evening drive. We must have missed the kill by 5 minutes at the maximum.

Caster


Cub One walking/standing



Cub Two sitting


Apologies for the bad quality - another overcast day just before gate closing time.

[Mel]

Bedi & 2 remaining Cubs
05/04/2015 about 3 km north of Lijersdraai waterhole

Bedi


The cubs


All three (Bedi on the right)

[Mel]

Habana
05/04/2015 about a kilometre north of Dikbaardskolk picnic spots

He was on his own and although I checked the area, I couldn't see his mate Liat.
Habana was actually passed out underneath a tree on the other side of the riverbed.



I was determined to sit with him until he got up so I would get some better angle for easier identification.
But when the second came, I messed up the photo totally.

[Mel]

Muskateers
07/04/2015 on the dune road opposite Dalkeith waterhole

They had eaten and didn't move an inch while we were staying with them. Only D'Artagnan got up once which made it a lot easier to match this sighting to a group of cheetahs... We went back in the afternoon, and of course, they were gone.

From left to right: Porthos, Aramis, Athos, D'Artagnan (not visible)


Aramis left, Athos right


Porthos


D'Artagnan

[Mel]

Hanri & Cubs
12/03/2015 near Montrose

© puppy
© puppy

[Mel]

Botham, Kallis, Kapildev & Sobers
14/07/2014 at Grootkolk waterhole

In all three photos from left to right:

Botham, Kapildev, Kallis, Sobers
© Andries
© Andries
© Andries

[Mel]

Benny, Choo & Fancy
29/03/2015 near Rooiputs (all three were seen)

Benny standing
© puppy

Choo
© puppy
© puppy