Guide to Big Cat Safaris: Cheetahs
Cheetahs are the speed merchants of Africa's grasslands. Find the best places to see cheetahs in the wild.
Young cheetahs, Africa
© Jeff&Wendy
Cheetahs: Fast, sleek and spotted
Cheetahs are the flexible, high-speed cats of the African plains. For short durations, they can reach 70mph helped by their slim frame, long legs and long tail. These sleek, spotty supermodels of the savannah have distinctive tear stripes from the inner corner of their eye to their mouth – these markings, their frame, and the solid black spots (as opposed to the rosette on a leopard’s coat) clearly mark them out as cheetahs.
Females are usually alone unless they have cubs, but males often stay together in what is known as a coalition, often of siblings but not necessarily. They become a powerful hunting machine when they join forces in this way. Hunting by day, they rely on their sight to pick out prey, which is why you’ll frequently see them on termite mounds or low trees.
Our guide was obviously very well-respected, as rangers gave him/us special permission to get close to a cheetah mama with 3 new-borns which guide said were born either just minutes or a few hours prior to our arrival. Extraordinary.
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© Jeff&Wendy
Seeing cheetahs on an Africa safari
It’s often hard to predict where a cheetah might be, however they’ll often be spotted on a termite mound or simply in the middle of the grasslands they’re hunting on. You need to keep your distance, especially if they are hunting as it would be easy to cause them to abandon a hunt if you got too close. A hunt by a coalition is quite a spectacular and thrilling sight.
If you come across a mother, you’ll see that cubs are very playful, and up to about 3 months they have a kind of punk ruff of hair down their back.
The best places to see cheetahs in the wild
You can’t really plan an African safari just to see cheetahs. It could easily end in disappointment if luck isn’t on your side. However, if you go to the places where there are good populations of cheetahs, and give yourself time, you stand a reasonably good chance of spotting one of these amazing big cats. Here are just some of our suggestions.
© JulianW,Shutterstock
© JulianW,Shutterstock
Top Pick
NAMIBIA
Namibia has one of the largest cheetah populations in Africa. They mostly on rural farmlands as they fare better there than in game reserves where other big cats and predators are in close proximity, however most of us have no choice but to head for the reserves to try to see them.
One alternative option is going to Okonjima Reserve where the Africat Foundation looks after many rehabilitated cheetahs. You can track cheetahs, leopards and wild dogs here.
Suggested Places to Stay
© KLevit,Shutterstock
© GQMarks
© GQMarks
The best time to see cheetahs
You can see cheetahs all year in Africa, and because they are diurnal, you’re more likely to see a cheetah hunt than either a lion or leopard. They prefer the early mornings and later afternoons.
Seeing a cheetah with her 2 cubs watching her on a kill which we witnessed from start to finish was unbelievable to watch.
Conservation of cheetahs
As well as the usual threats of habitat destruction and human-wildlife conflict causing drastic drops in the cheetah population, cubs are also stolen for the exotic pet trade.
Another issue with these delicately-framed cats is that the larger, heavier cats and other predators such as hyenas tend to steal the cheetahs’ kills and often attack and kill them. It’s not easy being a cheetah.
Various charities aim to help big cats including cheetahs, with Cheetah Conservation Botswana being one.
North Serengeti Migration & Mafia Island
12 days from £7,880pp plus international flights.
Explore north Tanzania inc. northern Serengeti (perfect for migration around July-Oct), then lovely Mafia Island.
- Perfect safari to see the migration in Serengeti from July-October.
- Stay in small luxury camps and lodges.
- Tarangire wildlife viewing is at its best from July-October.
- Excellent birdlife at Lake Manyara.
- Relax on the unspoilt island of Mafia.
Classic Namibia Self-Drive
15 days from £3,415pp plus international flights.
A classic introduction to Namibia from beach to desert and more inbetween.
- Self-drive through the best of Namibia
- Culture, wildlife, scenery
- See the desert, the coast and mountains
- Wildlife viewing in renowned Etosha NP
- See the many faces of Namibia
A Wild Kenya Family Safari
7 days from £4,040pp plus international flights.
A fantastic family safari adventure in Kenya's Laikipia and the Masai Mara.
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- Enjoy the safari as a family
- Plenty to keep little ones entertained
- Game drives in Laikipia and Masai Mara
- Child-friendly menus
- Explore the private conservancies
Read more in our Tribes blog
The Tribes blog brings you regular articles written by our specialists, travellers or partners and conservationists in our destinations. We have a big collection of articles now, so have a mooch to find some interesting short reads.
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Little Governors Camp … and the not-so-sleepy cheetahs
There are four Governors camps in the Masai Mara We stayed at Little Governors, the only one on the west side of the Mara River, in the Mara Triangle.
How to describe Namibia?
What words can you use to describe a country so stunning that it leaves you speechless? Here are a few of my favourites that I keep coming back to when recounting my recent visit to beautiful Namibia.
Northern Serengeti in the Low Season
Sitting alone, a large, battle-scarred male with a chunk missing out of his top lip was trying to disassociate himself from the seven females and youngsters relaxing in the sunshine on the edge of a dry riverbed.
