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| Home < Safari site map < Samburu info < Samburu Cheetahs > Samburu Leopards | |
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Cheetah | |||||
| You'd be unlucky not to see Cheetahs on a visit to the Samburu complex. These two young males were photographed by Duncan on our first visit, watching out for possible prey from a good vantage point. Cheetahs and Leopards are sometimes mixed up by first-time safari-goers, but there are quite a few differences. The Cheetah is smaller and much more slender, with long legs and a relatively small head. It is greyhound-like, obviously built for speed. It is adapted for chasing fast antelopes, and in East Africa, their main prey is the Thomson's Gazelle. It has distinct black spots and has dark 'tear' marks running right down their face. |  |
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 | Another difference is that Cheetahs live on the ground, while Leopards often doze in trees. Like the other big cats, Cheetahs spend a lot of their time sleeping, and when photographing them, you have to wait for them to raise their heads and actually do something! |
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| Mara Cheetahs Duncan's cheetah sketches |
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| Text and images © Liz Leyden, 2008 Email: liz [at] v-liz [dot] com May be used for non-profit personal or educational purposes only. Don't hotlink to my images. |
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