See This Mama Cheetah Turn Into a Mama Bear When Her Cubs Are Threatened

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Perhaps some of the most adorable wild animals are cheetah cubs. Their tiny paws, fluffy fur, and bright eyes draw us in to want nothing more than to cuddle with them. These young felines desperately need protection until they are mature enough to hunt and fend for themselves. 

The responsibility for their protection lies solely on their mother. And this fierce protector will turn into a mama bear if she feels her cubs may be harmed. Don’t miss this moment in the video above. 

Cheetah Protecting Young 

At the start of this short video clip shown above, we see that a small group of cheetah cubs are with their mother. According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, “litters range in size from one or two up to six cubs (the occasional litter of eight cubs has been recorded, but it is rare).” And as we can see from this video, this mama cheetah has five cubs with her. 

They have a majestic beauty about them as they sit high on this rock. The mother is on high alert for predators that can come from any direction. She knows that her young cubs are a mouth-watering treat for many predators such as lions, hyenas, African wild dogs, and leopards. 

Suddenly, we see her sit at attention as she watches a male lion, one of the biggest threats to her cubs, approaching slowly. This king of the jungle can already taste them in his mouth, and he is determined to get to them at any cost. However, before he can do that, he must get through to the mother. 

She climbs down and approaches this lion. Even though he is the king does not give him the right to devour her cubs. She will defend them with her life. She knows this lion is almost four times bigger than she is, but it does not stop her from taking off to charge straight at him in a vicious catfight to defend her young. 

When Do Cheetahs Reach Maturity?

Like many animals in the wild, cubs, and newborns only have a short time before they are training for survival. Young wild animals do not have the luxury of taking their time to grow up as humans do. It is a fierce world out there and they must learn to survive on their own.

The adolescence of these cubs occurs in the first year. At approximately 12 months they will begin hunting with their mothers. As carnivores, they will feast on gazelles, wildebeest, and hares. And so it is vital that they learn from their mother as quickly as possible.  

Cheetah cubs can reach full sexual maturity in just under two years, 20-23 months. It is estimated that some even can reach sexual maturity at 18 months.  It is at this point where their “adulthood” so to speak kicks in.  

It’s quite sad that these cubs have to grow up so fast, but that’s just the nature of the wild!