fbeaston Loc: Vermont

I'm now getting to the animals that really got my heart rate up during a recent trip to Kenya. This post is the 1st of 3 posts I plan to do on big cats ... this 1st one is on Cheetahs. We actually got to watch a female Cheetah with 4 small cubs for +/- 45 minutes. What a treat ... & while she did keep her eye on us, she did not mind the 5 Landcruisers with photographers being there. Unfortunately, they were a long distance away, often in relatively high grass (as Keith ... RetiredCPO ... suggested in an earlier post, we were disappointed they didn't mow the grass before we got there!!!). We came across them under a cloudless, bright sunlit sky & the combination of harsh sunlight & hard shadows were really a challenge for me.

These shots were taken on the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, which is approximately a 4 hour drive due North of Nairobi, Kenya. Keith & I had a great guide who did a wonderful job. They were all captured with a Canon 5dIV & an EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L II USM lens with a 1.4x extender.

Mama keeping a watchful eye on all that went on around them ...

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Their coats seemed to fade right into the landscape ... all the Cheetahs (Mama & 4 cubs) are in this shot ... albeit you have to look for them ... Mama is in the grass on the left ... 3 cubs are grouped in the center & the 4th cub is to the right ...

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The cubs played continuously while we were there ... stalking one another ... attacking when 1 turned it's back ... here are 3 peeking out of some bushes they were playing in ...

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Mama & a cub ... they surely seemed curious about everything ...

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Mama took several walks around the area while we were there & the cubs were always around her ...

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Although the cubs were always near her, it was hard to see them in the grass ...

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NMGal Loc: NE NM

It’s great you even saw them.

fbeaston Loc: Vermont

You're right ... as we got to the end of the trip, we were hoping to see a Cheetah & a Leopard ... obviously, we got the former ... & the latter is a good reason to go back. Thanks for the visit & comment.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Nice set!

fbeaston Loc: Vermont

Thank you QD ... appreciate the visit & comment.

Photolady2014 Loc: Southwest Colorado

Nice group of photos! Yes, they should have mowed the grass! It is nice to see them this way however as it shows how they blend in with the surroundings. The cubs are safer!

fbeaston Loc: Vermont

Thanks Beth ... yes, you're right ... the cubs are safer with the grass ... & of course, Mama probably uses it for camouflage when hunting. Thanks for the comment & visit. Appreciate it. Wish we'd been able to get closer to them.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Excellent action set (plus cute cubs)!

fbeaston Loc: Vermont

Thanks Mike ... appreciate the positive feedback. And yes, those little squirts were really cute ... thanks for the visit.

toxdoc42

We were very lucky. We saw a pair of leopards in a tree, 2 black rhinos, and all 5 of The big 5 as well as a host of cheetahs, giraffes, Judy's, gazelles, etc., etc. I made a poster for my grandchildren. See attached. Taken Feb 2020

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fbeaston Loc: Vermont

Thanks for sharing your poster. We weren't lucky enough to see leopards ... but we saw Black, Southern & the only 2 remaining Northern White rhinos in the world, along with lions, hippos, cape buffalo by the hundreds, elephants & a host of other critters. Maybe leopards next time.

J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio

angler Loc: StHelens England

Good set.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

Hi Frank. Just saw your post. Pretty good under tough conditions. Your baby shots are a lot better than the ones I got. Of course I spent as much time on the Tawny Eagle as I did on the Cheetahs.

fbeaston Loc: Vermont

J-SPEIGHT ... thanks Jack ... appreciate the visit.

angler ... thank you for the comment.

Retired CPO ... thanks Keith ... I hear you on the Eagle ... I split my attention a bit also ... but you covered the Eagle pretty well with your posts. Next time, you'll have to do something about mowing the grass & maybe bringing in some clouds to soften the light.