The Plight of the Cheetah

The Plight of the Cheetah

 

The cheetah is my favourite animal, I never tire of spending time with them. The Masai Mara is one of the best places to do just that! Here is a photo I took on my trip there last month, more specifically in the Naboisho Conservancy.  The cheetah’s expression reminded me of the species’s vulnerability so I went for a more sombre mood than usual to highlight their plight.

I was saddened, but not really surprised, that all of my guides mentioned that cheetahs are currently having a hard time in the Masai Mara. The problem, ironically enough, is that due to the conservation efforts made in recent years the lion population is growing fast. Lions are a huge threat to the cheetahs, and they are losing many cubs to them. It is not as simple as moving out of the lions’ way, human habitation is really encroaching around the Mara, essentially trapping the cheetahs. Unfortunately there is precious little that can be done as regards the habitat loss that has already occurred. But let’s hope that the encroaching on the prime wildlife areas can be curbed or controlled – highly unlikely given the rate of population growth though.

Techs: Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EF 200-400mm f4L IS USM Extender 1.4x @ 560mm | f 5.6 | 1/500s | ISO 100