Cheetah Captures Male Impala Right By Safari Road

A hungry cheetah attacked a large male impala by the side of the road, only to quickly realise that the takedown might not be as easy as it had hoped.

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Watching a predator when it’s hunting is always an amazing experience, and this tour group was able to watch this cheetah bring down its prey from start to finish.

Andre caught the whole thing on video on the H7 road near Satara in the Kruger National Park, and sent the footage to Latest Sightings. The incredible hunting prowess of the cheetah met its match with the stoic strength of the impala, but there could only be one victor.

Out Of The Long Grass

There was a small herd of impala by the side of the road when the cheetah attacked. Its approach wasn’t as stealthy as it might have liked, as several of the antelopes caught wind of it and began to flee.

Immediately after the impala started running, the cheetah emerged from the long grass where it had concealed itself. An ambush was now out of the question, and it would need to rely on its speed to catch its prey.

Prey Secured

Impalas make for speedy prey, but cheetahs are renowned for their speed, and this one wasn’t about to be outdone. An impala can reach around ninety kilometres an hour when it needs to, but a cheetah can top out at over one hundred kilometres an hour.

This far superior speed meant that the deadly cat was able to catch the impala quickly and with apparent ease. The hard part was subduing the antelope without accidentally damaging it too much to eat.

Too Strong To Die

The impala was strong enough to carry the cheetah a short way on its back while the cat was trying to get a secure grip around its neck. Its back legs were bucking to try and throw it off, but at this point it was too late, and the cheetah had a secure hold.

Despite that, the impala still stood proud and tall with its neck holding the weight of the predator that couldn’t quite bring it down to the ground.

Just Hanging Around

So far, it had been a brilliant hunt by the cheetah, but this part didn’t quite go to plan. The sounds of a long and drawn-out fight can draw other predators, or rivals might simply stumble across the confrontation if the cheetah takes too long.

The cheetah didn’t have the strength to force the antelope to the ground, and the antelope didn’t have the strength to throw the cheetah off. The result was an embarrassingly long time of the cheetah just… hanging there, unwilling to let go.

At Long Last

While the antelope did stand far longer than the cheetah might have expected, the cheetah had wounded it with its sharp teeth, and its weight slowly bore the impala’s head lower and lower until it fell.

Hunting encounters are always thrilling, but ones like this, where the cheetah puts such incredible effort into hunting, and the impala into simply staying alive, are even more amazing to watch.

It’s a shame that the impala wasn’t able to hold out longer and potentially escape, but cheetahs are rated as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, making this a much-needed meal.

Did You Know?

An impala, also known as the rooibok, is a medium-sized species of antelope with a reddish-brown coat and white and black markings. Both males and females look very similar, though males are identifiable by their large, twisting horns.

Author: Oscar Betts