Many of our friends here at de Wets Wild are great fans of cheetahs, so they especially would be thrilled to know that we had three wonderful encounters with these lithe cats during our December visit to Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park.
Cheetah with a tracking-collar
Cheetah with a tracking-collar
Cheetah in the long grass
Cheetah in the long grass
Cheetah with a tracking-collar causing a traffic-jam
Cheetah with a tracking-collar
Cheetah with a tracking-collar
Cheetah with a tracking-collar
DeWetsWild 
Powerful pics!
Thank you kindly!
beautiful travel shooting..
Very kind of you, thank you!
Here kitty, kitty, kitty! 🙂
I’m a fan of cats both big and small. Seeing a cheetah up close like that would be a thrill. Too bad their tracking collars are so large and obtrusive for the poor animal.
You can rest assured that the tracking collar is no impediment to the cheetah, Joanne. The researchers are very conscious about their study subjects’ wellbeing.
When I was little I was in the Cheetah Pack in the Cubs. I had to do a project, get to the library and research the ins and outs of the cheetah! I learned about these graceful animals and have loved then ever since!
I’m sure there’s still a lot of interesting factoids that you can share about them, AJ?
They’re fast… they’re timid but oh boy, they’re beautiful! (Have I ever told you I want one… no, make that a cheetah breeding farm!!)
Splendid shots! The Cheetahs look so magnificent!
Thanks Savita. They are beautiful creatures in every respect.
They are so beautiful!
Poetry in motion!
Magnificent. I particularly like that second shot.
Thanks a lot, Colonialist!
So sad to recently read that their numbers are decreasing. 😦
Sad indeed. Thankfully they can still find protection in reserves such as Hluhluwe-Imfolozi.
They are such gorgeous animals.
These are great, what a fabulous experience to be able to see them in person.
It is always a special treat, P J B, as encounters with cheetahs are exceedingly rare.
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Great shots! How wonderful to see them so close. 😃
Thanks, Sylvia! Hluhluwe-Imfolozi must be one of the most reliable places to have good cheetah sightings.
Fantastic
Most definitely!
Is that tracking collar bothersome to the cheetah? It looks so big.
I’m sure it is only a small irritation, Lois; it certainly didn’t seem to bother this particular male at all while we were watching.
I’ve always thought the cheetah to be the most beautiful of the big cats. It seems that I heard of a story a long time ago about why the cheetah cries. The lines on the face look so much like the path of tears.
Those tearmarks are one of the easiest features to distinguish cheetahs from leopards (the two are often confused). I would love to hear the fable of how they came to be!
Found it. http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/africa1.html
Lovely tale, thanks Pat!