Do the cheetahs give up? And does the brown hyena win? The answer is revealed in the below sequence of images. Plus: find out who joins in on the feast! Pictures and text by Michele Nel.
Part 2: Kalahari feast
While the hyena tried to drag the kill away one of the cheetahs moved in. At this point we began cheering for the cheetah!
There was a bit of a tug-of-war but the cheetah lost.
The other two moved in but they were not very brave in their attack. And the hyena decided it was time to get stuck in. That seemed to irritate one of the cheetahs even further so a bit of a tussle followed. Again the hyena won.
We were also puzzled: surely three cheetahs could take on one hyena? Through all of this the hyena tried to drag the kill away. The cheetahs tried to regain their breakfast but gave up very easily. It looked as if they were unsure of what to do
The hyena picked up the carcass – intent on taking it away. But again the cheetahs moved in and the hyena dropped the carcass and gave chase.
We wished the cheetahs would combine forces and attack the hyena but that never seemed to happen. One cheetah would have a moment of bravery and the other two would watch.
Eventually all three took a breather. The hyena was very engrossed in the carcass and after finding the liver, ran off to eat this delicacy. This gave the cheetahs a chance to move in and reclaim their kill.
The black-backed jackals were not far off and moved in to grab the stomach that had fallen by the wayside. (At this stage I felt that my stomach was about to fall by the wayside as well!)
Another jackal moved in but it was obvious he was a junior. It was interesting to watch how he cowered to his elders and acted very subserviently. After a while he was allowed a morsel or two.
By now the thief was having a difficult time trying to hang onto his stolen goods. Fifteen jackals had moved in and we all know how cunning they can be!
Hungry for a bit more? Read part 3 to find out what happens next.
