Finally
After more than 10 years of trying, I finally saw a cheetah in the Pendjari.
Cheetahs are extremely rare in West Africa and only 15 individuals are estimated to survive in the Pendjari. Note they have a paler coat than cheetahs in other parts of Africa.
This female was quite far away and the picture isn't great, but this is one of those cases where the sighting is so special that you just get overwhelmed by your emotions.
At dawn, I noticed kob frantically whistling at something, but I couldn't see what it was, as it was hidden behind grass. We decided to wait, and boy was that a good decision! After a while, we discovered that what we thought would be a lion was actually this cheetah, feeding on a kill (probably a kob).
Parc national de la Pendjari, Benin.
Finally
After more than 10 years of trying, I finally saw a cheetah in the Pendjari.
Cheetahs are extremely rare in West Africa and only 15 individuals are estimated to survive in the Pendjari. Note they have a paler coat than cheetahs in other parts of Africa.
This female was quite far away and the picture isn't great, but this is one of those cases where the sighting is so special that you just get overwhelmed by your emotions.
At dawn, I noticed kob frantically whistling at something, but I couldn't see what it was, as it was hidden behind grass. We decided to wait, and boy was that a good decision! After a while, we discovered that what we thought would be a lion was actually this cheetah, feeding on a kill (probably a kob).
Parc national de la Pendjari, Benin.