Cheetah Repeatedly Charges Pair of Hyenas That Are to Close to Her Litter of Cubs

This mama feline is willing to face up to two large predators in the protection of her young cubs. And she doesn’t just have to protect one; she has to protect all four of them! Watch what happens below. 

Cheetah Sighting in Kenya

The next YouTube video brings us all the way to Kenya, Africa. This video was uploaded and shared by the Jairus Bushlife Tours. They share that a “mother cheetah fights hard to protect her cubs from hyenas.” This video comes to this tour by way of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The Maasai Mara (or Masai Mara) is one of the most famous wildlife conservations in Africa. 

At the start of this video, we see a pair of wild hyenas that are in the background. And a mother cheetah that is watching them closely. These hyenas are trying their best to get around this protective mother. But let’s back up a little now. The video rewinds so we can see what this mother is protecting.

At 31 seconds, we see this mother cheetah with her four cubs close on her heels. We see these cubs are more interested in their surroundings and the mud that is underneath their feet. However, for this mother, we see her looking around for potential danger she knows that can be close by. Her cubs are too young to understand the predators that are lurking in the grass that would pounce at any opportunity to kill them.

It’s at this moment that two large hyenas wander by. And this mother cheetah takes it upon herself to protect her cubs at all costs. She charges after the hyenas, willing to sacrifice her own life if necessary.

They soon start to back down, as they don’t want to pick a fight with mama. So, instead, they hang back and circle around. Waiting for any moment of weakness on this mother cheetah’s part, where they can sneak in and grab a cub or two. 

How Many Cheetahs Live in Africa?

Cheetahs are listed among the “big nine” that house themselves in Africa. The big nine are the cheetah, giraffe, zebra, hippo, lion, elephant, leopard, African buffalo, and the antelope. 

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) of the genus Acinonyx can be found in both Africa and in Asia. It is estimated between the two countries that, their population is 8,500. And of that number, the African Wildlife Foundation estimates that 6,674 remain in the wild.