You win some, you lose some

Here at Grumeti one of our most sought after cheetahs is a male we call Kisikio. He had us transfixed one morning as he stalked his prey, his golden eyes fixed on a group of impala grazing peacefully. The sun cast a warm glow over the grasslands and all looked peaceful but, like a bullet being fired, Kisikio sprinted, accurate and deadly. He pounced and pinned the impala down, his jaws locking tight.

Once the impala was dead Kisikio began to feast, but a clan of hyenas, always on the lookout for an easy meal, swooped in, surrounding him, snarling and growling. The cheetah, outnumbered and outmuscled, was forced to abandon his kill. The hyenas devoured the impala in a frenzy of snapping jaws and scuffing paws, as Kisikio left the scene, choosing self-preservation over ownership.

The midday sun beat down as we watched him search for his next meal, but prey was scarce now. Later that afternoon when we found him again he had not eaten, and by nightfall he curled up under a thorn tree to sleep with an empty belly.

The next morning, we tracked Kisikio down, and to our surprise, he was lounging in the shade, looking rather pleased with himself! And then we spotted it - a tiny Thomson’s gazelle fawn. Had he managed to hunt again, or had he found an unexpected meal? Whatever the case Kisikio was soon fed and ready to take on the day.

The savannah is unforgiving, but this cheetah’s spirit remains unbroken.