Impala Ram Gets Supernatural Strength to Resist a Cheetah From Taking it To the Ground

This cheetah gives it everything it’s got but the impala refuses to lie down! The close-up encounter was captured at the Londolozi Private Game Reserve in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Look below to see the awesome wrestling match where the stakes could not be higher!

Watch the Amazing Clip Below

What Do Cheetahs Normally Eat?

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large and powerful member of the Felidae family that lives mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. They are carnivores and their prey is made up of mainly ungulates (animals with hooves). Their preferred prey varies with where they live. So for example, cheetahs who live in the Transvaal region have a diet made up of predominantly (85 percent) impala whilst the rest is made up of greater kudu and wildebeest.

How Do Cheetahs Normally Hunt?

We don’t get to see the hunt in this particular clip but we know that cheetahs often watch herds of their target pray from a high vantage point. This is often a termite mound or a tree. Then, they stalk their prey for some distance in a semi-crouched position. Once they are close enough, they chase the animal and bring it down. Cheetahs hunt alone and only have a 50 percent success rate which means they are usually always on the hunt.

Unlike lions and some other larger felines, cheetahs do not normally rely on their body weight to get the prey animal onto the ground. Instead, they try to trip them up during the chase sequence. Something has gone wrong here because the chase has ended but the impala is still on its feet! It is going to be difficult at this stage for the cheetah to get such a large impala onto the floor as hard as they may try.

How Do Cheetahs Normally Kill Their Prey?

The hunt sequence ends when the predator kills the prey. We get a good view of the cheetah’s usual killing method in this clip – which is biting the neck or muzzle to cause suffocation. The cheetah needs to target these areas of the body because their canines are too short to do much more than puncture the skin of their prey.  

The final problem that this cheetah may face is having the carcass stolen off it! Lions in particular are very good at stealing prey from cheetahs!