Cheetah Cubs Reunite with their Mother

Ndutu in February 2012 gave me some of the best cheetah cub sightings and pictures that I could ever imagine. Day after day we would track and find this mother with her four playful cubs, and day after day she would allow us glimpses into their intimate family life. This video opens with the four cubs calling for her, since she had probably inadvertently walked a little too far away. The call of the cheetah is an extremely unusual and incongruous-sounding chirrup. Three cubs face in one direction, as one chirps repeatedly, waiting for a response. The fourth ,perhaps exasperated with his sibling's failure or perhaps simply acting on instinct, turns and calls in the opposite direction. He listens intently, and hearing an answering call, runs towards the sound of his mother. His siblings follow immediately, and though the reunion was too far for me to see, I'm sure it was a joyful one. I later saw them gambolling together, mock stalking each other in games that are essential to teach the skills they need to survive in the wild. Most cats are also meticulously clean creatures, and after some heavy rain, the entire family of five sat and groomed each other while I watched in wonder at the miracles of nature. Find more stories, pictures and videos here: www.thelastwilderness.org