Cheetahs Never Prosper

(Editor: I thought you were going to use lyrics from Toto's "Africa" as your blog post headlines.  Writer:  I changed my mind.  I may use a few lines from the hit song "Africa" on future posts, but I didn't want to limit my artistic freedom, or something like that.  But hey, this title is from the Lion King at least!)

Before this trip, I reconciled myself to the fact there might be three animals which I really wanted to see, but I might not see.  I had not seen any of these three in 2014 when we went to South Africa.  In no particular order,  I was resigned to not seeing these elusive animals -- male lions, leopards, and cheetahs.

So when word came over our guide's phone that a cheetah had been spotted (pun intended) coming down a nearby large hill (or small mountain -- not sure which it is; I'm fine with either sobriquet), I assumed it would be gone before we got there.  

(By the way, the cell service is so good the guides no longer need those annoying radios to communicate; they text or call.  Meanwhile in Alexandria, I still have calls drop at home.  One is a nature conservancy in Kenya, the other is a suburb less than 14 miles from the freakin' U.S. Capitol!)

The Lewa Conservancy has a rule that only three safari cars can gather at an animal sighting, so we had to wait a bit for some Land Rovers to clear out.  The guides are generally good at making sure they don't stay too long whilst people are waiting, so eventually we got our turn.    It was halfway down the hill, slowly picking its way down.

I'm almost at a loss for words how much joy seeing it brought me.  The fastest land animal in the world (can hit 70 mph, which my Ford Tempo in 1986 couldn't do), the coloring is simply spectacular and beautiful all at once.

We tracked it down the rest of the hill along with two other vehicles.  I'm thrilled I got some great photos.  By the time it reached the bottom of the hill near the watering hole ("The Watering Hole" would make a great name for an African indie rock band, or a bar), other Land Rovers had come along, so we left.

But we left gratified and grateful.  If you had told 17 year-old me in Sparta, New Jersey that I'd see a real, free, uncaged cheetah not in a zoo but in Kenya, I would have taken that deal right then and there.  And I didn't even have to sell my soul to the devil. 

Even though I wanted to include every picture I took of the cheetah that late afternoon, I didn't.  But here are the best ones, along with a bonus sunset photo.

Probably the best of the pics.

Takes a short break to survey his dukedom.

(Hey, the King of Beasts doesn't grant the

cheetah a kingdom!).

One of the three Big Cats of Africa, the

cheetah actually doesn't prosper.  

Upwards of 50% or more cheetah

 cubs do not survive the first three

months of their lives.  It's a jungle

savanna out there. 

As usual I'm several days behind on the blog.

I've been in Africa for four sunsets.  None

have been mind-blowingly spectacular,

but they are all quite good.