Cheetah cubs. SUCCESS.

After years of trying I finally saw baby cheetah cubs. These were very young I was told six weeks old. They are born black and after about three months they start to lose that white mane and gain color. We were told the mane makes animals mistake cheetah cubs for honey badgers and they really do look like honey badgers if you do not see their faces.

When we arrived the Cubs were nursing. Then they jumped up and started playing. Running around with each other and climbing trees. One was a little bigger and could climb well the other one struggled. Absolutely an incredible sighting. Could not have been better. We stayed with them until it got dark.

From the start I wanted to see wild dogs and baby cheetah. I got the wild dogs years ago but not the baby cheetah. These were so young it was a better than I had ever hoped to see.

Last game drive n the morning. The others are going to try and find the cheetah and we are going back after the small lion cubs.

Cant believe we are about to go home. Time Seems to have just flown by and we saw so many amazing things. Each group had highlights and fantastic sightings an amazing trip.

What a great life you have, Ngaire! Can't wait for my turn to hang with the meerkats! Safe travels home. See you on Walrus
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Helen

So I am thinking that meerkats do not bite people since you are standing there all calm. I think I would have been a little skittish. Are they not afraid of people either?
Can't wait to see the aardwolf picture. I have never heard of that animal. Had to google it.

Rachel, the meerkat's are adorable. So darn cute. Pay no attention to you at all just play and run and forage. You cannot touch them and so no chance of getting bitten.

Have to do my final post. No time the last morning, then the flight and then first day back in the office. Probably the best game drive I have ever had. It was amazing. What is great about Tswalu is that it is not bush but quite open plains with scrub brush vegetation. So off-road driving is much easier and the roads are much smoother. As it is not thick bush you can follow animals and not lose them in the bush.

We followed three young female lions. They were playing around and then seemed to be on a mission. They would walk and then run, sniffing the air and the ground. Then they started roaring and in the distance there was a response roar. That was fun. The speed picked up! One female lion approached the three females. This is the one who has the very young cubs we could not find. The new lion took a submissive position but was growling at the other three females. The ranger thinks she was distracting these lions from her new cubs. Lots of growling and posturing. Eventually that settled down.

Then we heard a sound of a kill. We raced over to the direction of the sound. On the mountain side was a female with seven cubs ranging from about 6 month to 9 months. They had a brown hyena cornered and he had wedged himself in an area the lions could not quite reach and the hyena was very vocal. The little cubs were trying hard to reach that hyena.

Then the 3 female lions approached the female and cubs. Again growling between the two groups. The female and cubs came down off the mountain and approached the three female lions. The ranger said "wait for the fireworks" The mother of the cubs female charged the three females. She was much bigger and attacked full force. It was amazing the power of these animals and the noise. The three younger females instantly retreated and ran and the large female and all the cubs chased the intruders. The little cubs were fully involved in the chase not sure what would have happened if those females stopped running and attacked back. Other the intruders were chased off the two females and the 7 cubs had a love session greeting each other after all the excitement.

It was TRULY fantastic. Keeping up with all the action is a ton of fun too and in Tswalu you can SEE all the action. Ken is swamped but he will get pictures out soon.

Your stories have been amazing. Can only imagine how wonderful these three safaris have been, Loving those Meerkats - my grandson does a great impression! Safe travels home to all!

More Tswalu:


Aardwolf running away, which is what they usually do.

Two large Kalahari Lions.

Cheetah Cubs at Sunset:

Last drive at Tswalu:


Brown Hyena is wounded by the lion pride.


The pride sees the three young female lions approaching.

Ken was taking video of the action between the lions so he has no pictures. Julie will edit the video and put it on our Facebook page.

Omg, those little hyenas! So sweet.
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Helen

Last but not least ----- Cheetah 3

Ken has posted his pictures. I waited so long to see very small Cheetah cubs I think I am going to do a group of three on canvas. Problem is picking the three to use. Then I realized I do not have any wild dogs on canvas. I need a new office with some more walls!!

https://ngaire.smugmug.com/AFRICA/Africa-Tours/CHEETAH-THREE/

Thanks to Ken for sharing! All such great photos! What are the animals in picture 36?

Young water bucks - the ones with the toilet seats on their butt.

Ah! I'm sure I've never seen a young water buck before. Thanks!