A majestic cheetah that appeared to be posing for tourists in safari Jeeps was actually using the cars as a shield as it prepared to pounce on a herd of antelope.
The big cat stood perfectly still as excited tourists in Jeeps hung out their windows to snap photos of the animal, which stood just a few meters away from them. However, unfazed by all the attention, and gazing through a gap in the cars, the Cheetah kept its beady eyes on a herd of antelope on the other side.
This perfectly timed shot was captured by wildlife photographer Brian Matthews in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Africa.
Brain, 42, said: “A lot of the big cats you see on safari really aren’t bothered by all the tourists and the attention they get.”
He further stated that these cats, instead, try to use the cars as an advantage—using them to either get a bit of shade from the sun or as a way to hide from their prey.
“Cheetahs need to be within fifty meters or so of their prey if they have any chance of catching them,” Brian explained. “It was an exciting moment for the tourists, as the Jeep drivers radio‘ed to other nearby drivers that they’d had a big cat sighting, and more Jeeps started to arrive to catch a glimpse of it.”
However, Brian lamented that this particular cheetah was unable to catch the antelope.
“He tried, but it was a bit of a wet day, which made it harder for the cat to catch up to them,” Brian said.
