In the wild, there will always be territorial animals. Naturally, not all creatures get along, and one of Latest Sightings’ recent videos shows just how quickly things can heat up. A group of male cheetahs was seen hunting for food during a safari in South Africa, and a troop of baboons was spotted scavenging at the opposite end of the valley.
According to Mike Sutherland of Escape Safari, who was guiding a group on the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve at a time of day when most safaris had retired to camp for lunch, two of the enormous male baboons started alarm calling as soon as they spotted the cheetahs.
Two cheetah siblings were out hunting when they accidentally lost each other. As one attempted to call the other, the noise attracted the feisty primates. Cheetahs can communicate in a variety of ways, including sounds. One of the most common is called chirping and it’s heard in this video. Cheetahs chirp to call out to one another. Think of it as the big cat version of “Marco Polo.”
The two male baboons moved cautiously toward the cheetahs across the valley through the tall grass. Up until the primates made a quick dash up the mountainside in their way, the big cats sat confidently, still. The baboons pursued the cheetahs into the grass and down the steep slopes.
The Speed of Light
If you asked 100 people what they believe is the fastest animal, most would say cheetah. In the footage released by Latest Sightings, the baboons clearly and literally give these cats a run for their money. Believe it or not, baboons can only maintain a consistent speed of 30 miles per hour. In comparison to a cheetah, they’re relatively slow.
The nimble member of the cat family is capable of sprinting up to 1,500 feet at high speeds between 70 and 75 mph (112 and 120 km/h). Cheetahs are not only the fastest land creatures in terms of top running speeds, but they can accelerate quite quickly as well. Cheetahs are faster than most race cars, accelerating from 0 to 64 miles per hour in about three seconds.
The cheetahs became divided during the chase, but they eventually came back together and went down the valley. However, the baboons weren’t through with them yet and attempted another attack. As they pursued the cheetahs into the distance, the primates charged at them.
A comment on the Youtube video of the interaction puts things into perspective. The viewer states, “Kind of looks like the cheetah is toying with them like it knows it can get away safely in no time. It’s still pretty terrifying to see baboons running at that speed.” Take a look at the chase in the video below!
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