Intense Chase in Maasai Mara: Cheetah Coalition’s Last Stand

A pregnant topi was nursed by two cheetahs until her final breath. The last two surviving cheetahs of a coalition in Maasai Mara defeat a Topi in a high-speed, intense pursuit to survive.

Ivan Glaser, (madaboutmara) a 61-year-old travel consultant and photographic guide, captured the hunt on camera and shared it with LatestSightings.com.

“On a recent trip to Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, we found two cheetahs resting under a stream of water in the scorching heat of the day, and we settled in for what we thought might be a long wait before they began hunting,” said Ivan.

“After a very short wait, a lone Topi came running towards the resting cheetah, and as quick as lightning, the cheetah went from lounging to hunting mode. Reacting almost as fast as the cheetah, our guide Jackson Ronko from Oltepesi Tented Safari Camp strategically positioned our vehicle, anticipating the Topi’s escape route from the cheetahs.”

These two cheetahs are the survivors of the famous “Tano Bora” coalition of five cheetahs that were a highlight of the Mara for many years. Three of them have died in the last two years, with two being killed by others for various reasons, and one was killed by a lion.

“As Jackson anticipated, the Topi ran along the ridge line in our direction. The cheetah leaped to within about 30 meters of where we had parked. The Topi is much heavier than the cheetah, so they can’t rely solely on their weight to bring it down. They skillfully employ a tactic of striking the Topi’s leg with their claws to try to make it stumble and fall. Once it falls, the hunt is usually over. The entire chase ended in just 30 seconds.”

These two cheetahs almost always hunt large animals like adult topi and zebras, though they can only consume a small portion of such a big prey. They are now around 8.5 years old and cannot run fast enough to catch smaller, nimble gazelles.

“Capturing good images of cheetah hunts requires more than just photographs. It’s essential to understand the animals’ behavior as well as the terrain to position oneself in the right place for the best view of the hunt. That’s where an experienced and expert guide like Jackson Ronko comes into play.”