Mating calls

On one of our morning game drives in October, we had an unforgettable encounter with a remarkable male cheetah known as Junior Veteran, who exhibited fascinating behaviour. It was early, around 6:30 am, when we first spotted him scanning the open plains in search of a receptive female. His meowing calls echoed as he moved steadily across the terrain, using termite mounds and trees to gain a better vantage point.

We followed him closely for several hours, captivated by his persistence, yet that morning, luck was not on his side as there was no female in sight. At one point, we even turned off the vehicle to listen carefully, hoping to catch any sound that might indicate a response from a female nearby, though perhaps it was beyond our range of hearing.