Fast Five

Masai Mara had become the place to see an unusual experience.

Cheetahs are normally fairly solitary cats but in Mara  a group of five had formed the ‘Fast Five’. The five were made up of a pair of siblings and other individual cats.

They had been together for a few years but sometimes break away into smaller groups.

Over the years I had come across them every time I visited Mara and they became a big part of my experience.

They often took several days to locate but once found tended to be easy to follow given the size of the group.

On one occasion I found them in an open area of rolling grasslands walking along a dusty dry road. They were on the look out for something to eat.

A large herd of wildebeest were spotted some distance away and they communicated with each other and upped the pace in the direction on the wildebeest. I followed at a respectful distance to ensure we did not disturb the hunt or alert the wildebeest.

Another interesting note is how they have adapted and tolerate the vehicles even to the extent of using vehicles as cover and vantage points.

The boys moved swiftly and were soon within striking distance.

The close hunt strategy was interesting to watch.

They took up various vantage points and studied the herd looking for the young, the less able or infirm. Once the target was spotted one of the five slowly moved off on its own in the direction of the prey.

The herd were still unaware of what was about to happen.

Now the lone stalker was beside our vehicle and within striking distance, the cat suddenly exploded with raw power towards the target. Acceleration and a few strides found the advanced guard in contact with an already injured calf that had no time to react. The rest of the wildebeest herd ran off but strangely turned, then stood and watched from a safe distance.

Now that the prey was captured the other four ‘brothers’ moved in to add to the action to bring down the calf. One by one they added to the weight until the calf fell to the ground. The fight was over. The final cat walked in, grabbed the calf’s throat and suffocated life from the calf.

Using their skill and working together, as a team, they had succeeded and now enjoyed the rewards of their labour.