A Mothers Instinct

The title “A Mother’s Instinct” perfectly encapsulates the essence of this tale, highlighting the role of mothers in the wild—both as the hunter and the hunted. It all began on a cool, fresh morning at the Mhondoro hide when we heard impala alarm calls and received a radio call from Mhondoro butler Eddie, who reported seeing three cheetahs right in front of the lodge. It was a female cheetah with two cubs, relaxing in the shade of a nearby tree.

The Hunter’s Instinct: A Cheetah Mother on the Prowl

Some of our staff members captured fantastic photographs of the cheetahs from the lodge deck as they began to stir and get more active. The mother cheetah, driven by the need to provide for her cubs, started scanning the area for potential prey. In the distance, another mother appeared—this time, a warthog with her two piglets. We knew what was about to unfold.

Warthogs are known for their defensive and aggressive nature, especially when piglets are involved. A female warthog will go to great lengths, even confronting lions, to protect her young. The cheetah mother cautiously approached the piglets while the warthog mother was feeding. This was a powerful moment where the “mother’s instinct” was vividly on display: the warthog mom needed to protect her young from being preyed upon, while the cheetah mom needed to hunt to feed her cubs.

The Chase: Instincts Collide

The female cheetah left her cubs in the long grass and accelerated with astonishing speed toward one of the piglets. Instinctively, the warthog mother stood her ground and charged at the cheetah, attempting to scare her off. The cheetah cubs, excited by the commotion, joined in the chase. What followed was a dramatic encounter—a life-and-death struggle where the hunter and the hunted chased each other with dust swirling in the air. The sights and sounds of this encounter were truly unforgettable. After several failed attempts to catch a piglet, the cheetah eventually backed off, moving away from the brave warthog family.

Cheetah vs. Warthog: A Relationship Defined by Instinct

Here are a few interesting facts about the dynamic between cheetahs and warthogs:

• Hunting Capabilities: A cheetah can hunt warthogs up to its own body weight, approximately 45 kg.
• Opportunistic Predators: Cheetahs are opportunistic hunters and often target warthogs since both species are active during the day.
• Warthog Defense: Warthogs are known to fight off not only cheetahs but also lions and leopards, particularly when their young are threatened.
• Coexistence: These two species don’t frequently interact and are sometimes seen together without any aggressive intent.

Once again, we were able to log another successful sighting at the Mhondoro hide. It seems that the more time we spend here, the better the sightings we witness! It was a remarkable experience to observe the motherly instinct in action and to see both sides of this eternal struggle on that particular day.

Mhondoro Ranger – Marcus Hack