Photographer Salutes Action-Packed Cheetahs With Showstopping Photos to Mark International Cheetah Day

Photographer Salutes Action-Packed Cheetahs With Showstopping Photos to Mark International Cheetah Day
SWNS
By SWNS
Updated:

A wildlife photographer has shared some of his favorite pictures to mark International Cheetah Day on Sunday, Dec. 4.

Paul Goldstein has been studying the fastest animal on land since he saw his first one almost forty years ago.

The Wimbledon-based guide will spend many hours searching for the predators in the conservancies of Kenya.

A photo by Paul Goldstein shows a cheetah dismounting from a tree in "The Mara" in Kenya. (SWNS)
A photo by Paul Goldstein shows a cheetah dismounting from a tree in "The Mara" in Kenya. SWNS
A photo of a cheetah adult and cubs in a conservatory in Kenya. (SWNS)
A photo of a cheetah adult and cubs in a conservatory in Kenya. SWNS

“They are daytime cats that cannot compete with the heavier predators like lions and leopards in the twilight and night,” Goldstein says. "They are also threatened and lose the majority of their meals to stronger competition.

“However to see one, often compelled by her hungry offspring, explode across the plains is a defining sight of nature and one I never tire of.

“I have spent longer with cheetahs than many of my relatives, they never short-change. They give you so much.”

A cheetah cub climbs a tree next to an adult big cat of the same species. (SWNS)
A cheetah cub climbs a tree next to an adult big cat of the same species. SWNS
A cheetah shakes water off its body after getting a good soak. (SWNS)
A cheetah shakes water off its body after getting a good soak. SWNS
An adult cheetah springs into action in pursuit of its prey, a young gazelle antelope. (SWNS)
An adult cheetah springs into action in pursuit of its prey, a young gazelle antelope. SWNS

All they need is prey and, more critically, space, he adds. Humans should allow them as big a berth as possible.

“The open plains of the Rift Valley, particularly the Mara Conservancies, are the best places in Africa for them—acacia studded grasslands with plenty in the larder and very few vehicles,” Goldstein says.

With lightning-fast speed, a hunting cheetah catches its prey on the run. (SWNS)
With lightning-fast speed, a hunting cheetah catches its prey on the run. SWNS
While feasting, a cheetah warns off a scavenging hyena. (SWNS)
While feasting, a cheetah warns off a scavenging hyena. SWNS

“If I find one early, I know my day is mapped out, I don’t leave till they have hunted. Successfully.

“There may be better ways of spending a day, but offhand I can’t think of many.”

Paul Goldstein co-owns Kicheche, a series of eco camps in four Kenyan Conservancies.

A cheetah family during a playful grooming session. (SWNS)
A cheetah family during a playful grooming session. SWNS
A serene picture of a cheetah family relaxing in the Mara. (SWNS)
A serene picture of a cheetah family relaxing in the Mara. SWNS
A photo shows the cheetah cubs grooming each other. (SWNS)
A photo shows the cheetah cubs grooming each other. SWNS
An orderly portrait of a cheetah family all lined up, looking at the same spot. (SWNS)
An orderly portrait of a cheetah family all lined up, looking at the same spot. SWNS
A cheetah climbing into a perch in the Mara. (SWNS)
A cheetah climbing into a perch in the Mara. SWNS
A photo of the photographer Paul Goldstein. (SWNS)
A photo of the photographer Paul Goldstein. SWNS
Share your stories with us at [email protected], and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter