A ranger at the Mala Mala Game Reserve in South Africa captured video of a once-in-a-lifetime sighting of a cheetah teasing and taunting a large male lion, prompting a chase with a predictable outcome.
Kevan Dobbie, assistant head ranger at the game reserve, shared his video with LatestSightings. He explained:
“A young male cheetah has been seen spending quite some time around Mala Mala Game Reserves Private Airstrip. On this particular day, it was a sighting where being at the right place at the right time paid off.”
“Three of the big cat species interacted,” Dobbie told LatestSightings. “Two Ndzhenga male lions approached a young male cheetah. While a female leopard (Nkoveni) was watching the scene unfold from the eastern side of the airstrip.
“The cheetah, well aware of the lion’s presence, displayed some interesting behavior. At first, almost taunting the lion as if it were saying, ‘You can’t catch me.’
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“One of the Ndzhenga male lions didn’t appreciate the teasing and pursued the young male cheetah. The cheetah knew he had an advantage and kept the lion at a comfortable distance.”
Not surprisingly, the lion never did catch the cheetah.
“Eventually, the lion lost interest, and both lions plopped down and lazy lounged around the airstrip,” Dobbie said.
Photo courtesy of LatestSightings.
