Tanzania - 2020 - Part 13 - Featuring Cheetahs

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Olympus OM-D E-M1X camera
40-150mm f/2.8 Lens at 150mm
1/640 sec at f/6.3, ISO 3200


Two Cheetahs scanning the area for potential prey
All the photos in this blog post were taken with an Olympus OM-D E-M1X camera with a 40-150mm f/2.8 Lens attached.


1/640 sec at f/6.3, ISO 4000 zoomed to 150mm

This Cheetah was usually out of sight, but would raise the head aperiodically to scan for prey. The cheetah is the world’s fastest land mammal. They hunt during the daylight.


1/640 sec at f/6.3, ISO 4000 zoomed to 150mm

The long tail, used as a rudder during high-speed chases, also popped up for this look around the environment.


1/1000 sec at f/9, ISO 640 zoomed to 95mm

Different cheetahs. The adult is teaching the cub to hunt. The adult caught an immature gazelle but did not kill it. The cub is approaching to examine the catch.


1/1000 sec at f/9, ISO 1000 75mm 40-150 zoomed to 75mm

The gazelle is not immobile. Shortly after this photo was taken, the gazelle jumped up and started running away. Apparently that was the intent of the adult cheetah.


1/1000 sec at f/9, ISO 800 zoomed to 120mm

The cub is now chasing the young gazelle and the adult is following. The cub was unable to catch the gazelle and stopped chasing. The adult then resumed the chase and captured the gazelle again.


1/400 sec at f/7.1, ISO 160 zoomed to 130mm

The adult recaptured the immature gazelle and killed it this time. Because of their short teeth, cheetahs must kill prey by suffocation.


1/800 sec at f/5.6, ISO 160 zoomed to 100mm

The cub inspects the prey it could not catch.


1/800 sec at f/5.6, ISO250 zoomed to 95mm

Adult and cub scanning for other predators that may try to steal their catch.


1/640 sec at f/9, ISO 500 zoomed to 43 mm

The adult is recovering from the two chases of the gazells while the cub is repositioning the catch.


David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit.