Quick Take
- The cheetah's most lethal hunting tactic accidentally handed the hare its escape route. See the leg-hook tactic →
- Speed isn't actually a cheetah's most decisive weapon. How stamina limits cheetahs →
- Cheetahs have a precise stalking ritual that most people have never seen described, and this clip captures it unfolding in real time. See the stalking ritual →
The title of this clip could be ‘The One That Got Away’! The cheetah in the extraordinary footage gets so close to catching the hare. It actually manages to touch the prey with its paw but the hare makes a spectacular backflip and races away. The cheetah does not give up but we don’t get to find out if it was successful. Meanwhile, another cheetah is bringing up the rear, probably hoping to share the meal.
How Do Cheetahs Normally Behave?
Cheetahs are a member of the Felidae family and are in the same subfamily as lynx and bobcats. They are found in southern and eastern Africa but there is also a small population in Iran. Cheetahs have been classed as vulnerable by the IUCN and their populations face many threats including habitat loss. You will normally spot them in semi-open country that also provides some cover.
You can see two cheetahs hunting together in this clip. They normally hunt alone or in small groups. The females tend to live alone with their offspring but males often form coalition groups. This helps them to maintain territories more effectively. When together, they have been seen using mutual grooming to establish bonds.
How Do Cheetahs Normally Hunt?
Cheetahs use termite mounds as vantage points to scan for prey.
©Stu Porter/Shutterstock.com
Cheetahs tend to rest in the middle of the day and hunt in the early morning and late evening. They locate their prey by sight, perched on vantage points such as termite mounds and scanning the landscape. Once a target has been identified, they silently stalk it using cover to hide themselves. It’s easy to spot a stalking cheetah, they creep as close as possible to the ground with their head lowered and use a trotting and freezing movement. As you can see in this clip, once the prey runs things become very intense!
Cheetahs are fast but lack stamina. That may be the factor that saves this hare’s life! They reach an average speed of 40 mph during chases but have short bursts of up to 70 mph. If they can’t catch the prey within 20 seconds, they begin to tire and rarely pursue an animal for more than a minute.
You also see the cheetah using its classic tactic of hooking the animal’s leg to bring them to the ground. It did not work with this hare who managed to turn the trip into a spectacular aerial flip and escape!
