This Cheetah’s Call Is Not Quite What You’d Expect to Hear

When we think of a calling card, we think of something identifying a certain person. Well, animals use their voices as their calling card. When we hear the boisterous roars, we know this is the king of the jungle. When we hear the soft coos, we know these are cubs. Or when we hear screeches or laughs, we can identify these as hyenas. Let’s say that the cheetah’s calling card is probably not what you’d expect to hear. Don’t miss it in the video below!

Watch the Video Below!

Cheetah Calling in Africa

The Instagram reel posted in the section above brings us to Africa. The Nick Kleer Instagram page filmed and shared this video with 570,000+ subscribers. Nick is a wildlife photographer and videographer who frequents Africa for his work. His most recent footage shows meerkats standing on his head, cheetahs climbing trees, and rhinos interacting with cheetah brothers. 

What Sounds Do Cheetahs Make?

As the video above starts, we see this cheetah mother sitting upright. She’s overlooking the African plains stretched out in front of her. She begins to call out vocally. Even though cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are of the family Felidae, like that of the lion (Panthera leo), they do not make the roaring sound that is so common with lions. 

According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, “Cheetahs do not roar, but they make sounds including purrs, barks, growls, hisses and chirps that are unlike those of any other cat.” They go further to expound that the most common of their noises is that of the chirp. 

And that’s exactly what this sound is in the video at the top—a series of chirps. As we can imagine, the sounds mentioned above by the cheetah have different meanings. A chirp is not the same as a growl, for instance. The chirp is this cheetah mother calling out for her cubs. 

How Long Do Cheetah Cubs Stay With Their Mother?

When we think of the protection of a human baby under our care, the consensus is that they are cared for 18 years before they are released on their own. Well, animals don’t have the same guidelines across their species. Some young animals remained with their mothers for several years. And others are ready in just over a year. 

According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, cheetah cubs will remain with their mother for about 18 months. However, they learned the ways of the wild long before then. They will be taught how to hunt and handle predators in the wild about a year before being released. As we can see from the video above, this mother cheetah’s cubs were still with her as she called out to them. 

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/StuPorts