home Women Cheetah hunting in the wild. Hunting method typical of the cheetah

Cheetah hunting in the wild. Hunting method typical of the cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus) - carnivorous mammal animal, belongs to the cat family, genus cheetah ( Acinonyx). Today this is the only surviving species. The cheetah is the fastest animal in the world: when chasing prey, it reaches speeds of up to 112 kilometers per hour.

Cheetah breeding

During the rutting season, male cheetahs unite in small groups, usually consisting of 2-4 individuals. Most often, such a premarital alliance includes sexually mature cheetah brothers from the same litter. Such a related clan protects the territory from encroachments of foreign males, where potential female partners are located.

A female cheetah is capable of reproducing full-fledged offspring at the age of 2-2.5 years, although the first estrus occurs much earlier - at the age of 19-21 months.

Seasonality in the reproduction of these predators is weakly expressed. However, individuals living in eastern Africa give birth mainly from January to August, and cheetahs South Africa kittens appear from November to March.

The pregnancy of a female cheetah lasts from 85 to 95 days, as a result, from 2 to 4-5 kittens are born. Cheetah cubs are born blind and completely helpless. Only after 10-14 days do babies open their eyes. The fur of small cheetahs is quite long and has a grayish-blue tint; characteristic spots on the skin appear later.

Babies have a small black-brown mane, and the tip of the tail is decorated with a dark tassel: these identifying marks disappear by about 3-4 months. For almost a year, and sometimes more, (until they learn to hunt on their own) cheetah cubs are near their caring mother under her constant supervision, but the father cheetah does not take part in raising his offspring.

The cheetah is a rather difficult animal to keep in captivity. Despite their endurance, these felines are vulnerable to drafts, excessively high humidity and sudden temperature changes. In autumn and spring, cheetahs often suffer from respiratory and viral diseases Therefore, zoos try to vaccinate animals in a timely manner.

Quite friendly towards humans, the cheetah is very excited and restless about the presence of strangers, which can lead to tragedy if feeding and care is carried out by a person completely unfamiliar to the predator.

In the summer of 2012, a female cheetah named Sarah ran the 100-meter dash in 5.95 seconds, setting a world record for the animal race.
In the 16th century, an Indian ruler named Akbar kept a thousand cheetahs at his court at the same time, as he loved to hunt with these graceful and swift predators;
Cheetahs are mentioned in The Tale of Igor's Campaign.

Most of us know cheetahs as the fastest animal in the world. Cheetahs have lightning-fast reactions and are able to reach speeds of up to 112 - 115 km per hour. At the same time, they easily accelerate to 75 km per hour in just half a second!

The first information about the use of cheetahs for hunting dates back to 1580-1345 BC. This kind of hunting was especially popular in India. IN Ancient Greece It was also customary to take a cheetah with you on a hunt. Many rulers - Indian, Constantinople, Roman - always kept cheetahs at their court. At the site of Scythian burials, the remains of hundreds of these animals are often found. The cheetah's great natural hunting abilities and peaceful disposition prompted residents of many countries to use it as a hunting animal.

In ancient Thebes, images of two cheetahs kept on leashes were found. Centuries ago, cheetahs were hunted in many Asian countries. Hunting with cheetahs was especially grandiose in India, where it became most widespread in the 16th and early 17th centuries. The size of the hunt can be judged by the fact that Khan Akbar during his reign kept up to 1000 cheetahs at a time - they were caught with loops of antelope tendons placed near the trees on which the animals came to sharpen their claws. They also hunted with cheetahs in Ancient Babylon.

But in Ancient Egypt Cheetahs, like all cats, were considered sacred animals. Egyptian goddess Sun Mafdet was depicted with the head of a cheetah and was considered a protector from snakes and scorpions. The goddess Mafbet is probably one of the earliest cat deities, and was sometimes depicted as a cheetah, lynx or leopard. Her description included having braided hair, which is believed to represent the bound bodies of the scorpions she killed. The name Mafdet is believed to mean "runner" or "runner", which suggests a connection with the cheetah, the fastest of the cats.

The legendary Indian ruler of the 16th century Akbar was a passionate lover of hunting with cheetahs: the number of “greyhound cats” living at his court at the same time reached a thousand, and in total about 9,000 animals passed through his hands. And during all this time, only once a pair of royal cheetahs gave birth to offspring - although all the pets of Padishah Akbar felt great, got along well with people and were not constrained in anything. The constant capture of free cheetahs for the needs of noble hunters for many centuries was one of the reasons for the decline in the number of the animal.

And in Renaissance Italy, there was a fashion for cheetahs among wealthy lords. During the Renaissance in this country, cheetahs were so common on the estates of lords that they are mentioned in most literary works of that time and are often depicted on tapestries. Several such tapestries with cheetahs depicted on them are kept in the Hermitage. There are many historical accounts of hunting with cheetahs in Italy. Thus, Frederick II, Emperor of the Roman Empire, had a leoparderia in the castle of Lucera in Apulia. The cheetahs were brought to him from North Africa. Louis XII hunted hares and roe deer with cheetahs in the Amboise forest. Hunting with cheetahs in Europe required large expenses for the acquisition and maintenance of hunting animals and was available only to large feudal lords. As the feudal states died out, hunting with these predators became more rare and ceased around the beginning of the 18th century.

This passion did not escape Ancient Rus'. In those days, when there was no trace of Moscow, Russian princes were already chasing saigas with cheetahs across the steppe expanse. In Rus', the cheetah was called “pardus”, and the people who trained them were called “pardusniks”. In Russian chronicles and legends, pardus is mentioned more than once. In the margins of Svyatoslav's Collection, which dates back to 1073, two cheetahs with collars are depicted hunting hares. This ancient monument is kept in the Historical Museum in Moscow.

Marianna North. Street of hunting cheetahs and lynxes (caracals) (Alvar). Paper, oil. 1878

Hunting cheetahs of the Baroda Maharaja Sayajirao III. 1890s

Cheetahs - pardus, are also mentioned in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”: “On the river on Kayal, darkness covered the light - the Polovtsy spread across the Russian land, like a brood of cheetahs.” "Parduje" - possessive adjective from "pardus". N.V. Charlemagne, and after him other commentators, interpret the Old Russian “pardus” as “cheetah,” noting that cheetahs were used as hunting animals for hunting (Charlemagne. pp. 119-121). The fact that cheetahs usually hunt in a brood—a “nest”—has been observed by zoologists (K. A. Vorobyov, Notes of an ornithologist. M., 1973, p. 44). It is difficult, however, to judge what exactly was reflected in the comparison of the Cumans with a pargas nest - the use of cheetahs for hunting or the author’s personal observations of how they hunt in natural conditions predators of the cat family - cheetahs and leopards. Image of three cheetahs knocking down a wild horse or an onarg to the ground is found in the frescoes of Sophia of Kiev (see: Charlemagne N.V. Sergei Paramonov about “The Tale of Igor’s Host” // TODRL. M.; Leningrad, 1960. Vol. 16. With .614). S.K. Shambinago and V.F. Rzhiga believed that the pardus of the “Slovo” were leopards. In ancient Russian apocryphal monuments, the Cumans (Cumans) are compared with cheetahs and are identified with them: “There is a Kumanin pardus, there is an eel lynx...”, “A Kumanin pardus, a Bulgarian bull, a srbin volk” (see: Peretz. P.263).

In the Middle Ages, hunting with cheetahs was practiced in Kievan Rus and the Moscow Principality, and on the territory of modern Central Asian and Transcaucasian states and in Kazakhstan it existed until the 19th century inclusive.

There were several methods of hunting with hunting cheetahs. In India and China, the predator was placed on a special two-wheeled cart that had a springboard at the back. Zebu or bulls of other local breeds were harnessed to the cart. This method is designed to ensure that antelopes get used to the sight of peasant carts, and therefore often allow them to come to a relatively close distance.

In open areas, the cheetah was launched at game from a distance of 100-200 meters, and only where there were separately growing bushes - from a further distance. The cheetah was tied to the cart with a leash, the free end of which was attached to a belt worn on the animal in the groin area, and less often - to the collar. To prevent the cheetah from being distracted or worried while approaching the game, its eyes were covered with a special bandage. The hunters, having noticed a herd of antelopes, began to ride around them until the radius was reduced to 100-300 m. Having approached such a distance, the cheetah was untied, the blindfold was removed and the game was shown to him. Having caught up with the antelope, the animal knocked it to the ground with blows of its paws, grabbed it by the throat, and began to choke it. At this time, a hunter ran up to him, cut the throat of the prey and, having collected blood in a special ladle, offered it to the cheetah. After feeding the cheetah with blood, the bandage was put on him again and he was taken to the cart.

Training a hunting cheetah was relatively easy. In the first days after the capture of the animal, they “kept it” for some time, without giving food and preventing it from sleeping. Then the hungry, severely weakened animal was taught to take food from the hands of the person caring for it, giving it food and water in a special ladle - a lure. Later, the tamed animal began to be taken out on four leashes - stretch marks - to the most crowded streets and bazaars. When the cheetah got used to its owner, it was accustomed to horses and dogs. After that, it was baited with the game that they were going to hunt with it. And only after six months of training it was possible to start hunting small antelopes and hares.

The cheetah can rightfully be called the most fast hunter on the ground. To catch up with its prey, which reaches speeds of up to 96 km per hour, the cheetah has a hard time. But he is a clever hunter and his body helps him in this.

Cheetah feeding and hunting

The cheetah is a born predator. In pursuit of the victim, he reaches speeds of up to 120 km/h. His tail helps him balance while running, and his claws serve as a kind of spikes, which make it possible to repeat all the zigzags after the running victim. The eyes allow you to see any movement at a great distance. When overtaking prey, the cheetah hooks it with its paw and then tries to grab onto its neck.

Cheetahs feed mainly on ungulates, gazelles and antelopes. These animals make up 90% of the cheetah's diet. They also hunt hares, young ostriches and other large birds.

Unlike many cat species that hunt at night, cheetahs prefer to hunt during the day. When starting a hunt, a predator first looks for suitable prey, usually from some height. When the victim is chosen, be it a gazelle, antelope or a wild ass, the cheetah, hiding in the thick grass, crawls towards the victim, and when 30-100 meters remain to it, it suddenly breaks away and begins the chase, developing enormous speed, then making an accurate jump , clings to the body of prey with carpal claws. The cheetah cannot get a good grip on the body of the prey because it does not have retractable claws. So he tries to knock her down and bite her on the neck. If in a matter of seconds the cheetah fails to catch the prey, then the chase stops. The animal can run at such a crazy speed for only 500-600 meters, then the body temperature rises and the animal will easily die from overheating if it continues the chase.

As a rule, they hunt alone, but young and inexperienced individuals can hunt together. They do this in the following way: together they surround the impala and, having driven it into a trap, do not leave it a single chance. There are times when a group of predators attacks larger prey, for example, a blue wildebeest or a zebra, and sometimes the hunt of brother cheetahs ends successfully. However, the team does not hunt together for long; as they grow older, the relatives begin to avoid each other. Around the third year of life, siblings separate and begin independent life, but at the same time remain in the same hunting area. Animals continue to experience kindred feelings for each other; they do not have disputes over hunting territories.

When chasing prey, a cheetah spends a lot vitality and energy. In order to somehow restore strength after the chase, the animal lies down in the shade and breathes heavily for about 15 minutes. At this time, while he is resting, his enemies are not asleep. The most sworn enemies of the cheetah on the African plains are lions and hyenas. They fleece cheetahs for most of their prey. Since cheetahs do not have powerful jaws and large sizes, these animals almost never enter into an argument with them and give up their prey without a fight. Therefore, this predator tries to eat everything immediately after the hunt, leaving nothing for later. Also, cheetahs, unlike many cats, never eat carrion, but always prefer to eat fresh meat.

The cheetah is a beautiful and graceful animal, which is considered the fastest runner among predators. The hunting method characteristic of the cheetah is very interesting. When you watch a predator chasing game, your heart simply skips a beat at the speed the animal develops. About what a cheetah looks like, how it hunts, how it lives in wildlife, you can find out by reading this article.

Cheetah habitat

Life is very difficult for cheetahs these days. Because of its beautiful skin it was very popular, and the speed at which it runs cannot protect it from the bullets of ruthless hunters.

Now spotted beauties live in the wild in Africa, and in the recent past they could be found in Arabia, India, and Iran. Cheetahs are on the verge of extinction, so that the species does not completely disappear from the face of the Earth, the animals are bred in captivity and protected in natural environment.

Description

The method of hunting characteristic of a cheetah is determined by the structure of the animal’s body; it is aerodynamic. This promotes streamlining while running, which makes it possible to develop greater speed. The muscles are highly developed, there is almost no fat on the body, it is slender and graceful, at first glance it even seems somewhat fragile. In fact, the animal is strong, its distinctive feature is the speed that it develops instantly and uses this during the hunt. We'll talk about the hunting method itself a little later.

Describing the appearance of a cheetah, one cannot fail to note its extraordinary beauty, which is very different from the beauty of others wild cats. The animal's head is small with high-set eyes, enlarged nostrils, small rounded ears and two thin black stripes on the sides of the muzzle. Because of these stripes, it seems that the animal is sad.

The color of the cheetah is sandy-yellow, with small black spots randomly scattered throughout the body. The weight of an adult animal is 45-66 kg, body length is 110-140 cm, the tail is beautiful and long up to 70-82 cm. The claws are partially retractable, this is distinctive feature kind. This feature helps the animal to sharply change direction at high speed, which again helps it in the hunt.

Characteristics of the cheetah

In their natural environment, cheetahs live 12-15 years; in captivity they can live up to 20 years. Males have their own territory, which they mark with urine and guard. Females do not have their own territory; they stay alone and simply follow their prey. The beast's lair is open, usually located in thorny thickets, on large termite mounds, under trees or in rocks. Unlike other cats, the cheetah is not clean. He often changes his lair, so he does not have the habit of relieving himself in the same place. In captivity, it is also impossible to accustom him to cleanliness.

The cheetah's hunting method allows it to feast on game such as antelope and zebra, which are quite difficult to catch. These are very agile artiodactyls; not every predator is able to catch up with a healthy antelope on level ground. open area, for a cheetah it’s the other way around, the best option. The spotted predator hunts in areas with short grass, as it needs visibility.

Reproduction

Cheetahs form pairs only during mating season, after the rut, the animals disperse, the female herself takes care of the offspring.

Pregnancy lasts three months. There are 2-6 kittens in one litter. Babies are born weak and are easy prey for other predators. Therefore, the mother constantly guards them and often changes the location of the den.

Hunting method typical of the cheetah

Spotted predators have acute vision; to search for prey, they climb to high places and can spot prey at a great distance. The cheetah hunts either in the morning at sunrise or in the evening at dusk; the males can organize hunts together, but the females are solo hunters; they never hunt together.

Having identified the object of prey, the animal throws all its strength into catching it. First, the predator, clinging to the ground, crawls towards the target at a distance of up to 150-200 meters, then rushes forward and, developing incredible speed, catches up with the prey, which has almost no chance of escaping. A cheetah's leap is 6-8 meters; the animal spends half a second on one such throw. This beauty can reach speeds of up to 90-100 km/h in just 3 seconds. You can only run at this pace for a few hundred meters, since a burst of such power requires a huge consumption of oxygen. There have been cases, especially with young animals, when, after running 200-300 meters, the predator lost consciousness and could not come to its senses for a long time. Experienced spotted hunters, if they do not catch their prey in the first hundred of the distance, simply stop chasing and begin to look for a new target.

Having caught up with the prey, the predator hooks it and knocks it down with a blow of its front paw. The inner toe of the paw is armed with a curved sharp claw; at the first blow, this claw makes a deep wound in the body of the game. The cheetah strangles the prey that has been knocked to the ground by the throat, without opening its jaws for 6-8 minutes.

The life of a cheetah in the wild is extremely interesting; I would like to draw your attention to some interesting facts:

Over short distances, a cheetah can easily outrun a racehorse.
The spotted cat never eats carrion; when it is full, it leaves the leftovers for birds or jackals. Without even thinking about guarding the carcass until the next meal, the animal leaves forever.
The predator drinks water only once every three to four days.
In ancient times, nobles of Assyria and India organized cheetah competitions; this was considered royal entertainment.
The cheetah is easy to tame. Despite the bloodthirsty hunting instinct, this predator is quite calm and affectionate. Not a single case of a cheetah attacking a person has been recorded.
Russian princes loved to hunt with a tamed cheetah.

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Cheetah

Among the representatives of the cat family, the cheetah stands out for its pronounced individuality. The beast took some features from cats, some from dogs, added its own touches to this mixture and appeared in the unique appearance of a greyhound cat, capable of running at a speed of 100 km per hour and chirping like a bird

Externally, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) resembles a tall, lean dog with a small cat-like muzzle and a long tail (height at the withers - 70-85 cm, body length - 123-150 cm, tail - 63-75 cm, weight - 35-60 kg). The legs are long, thin and graceful, but at the same time very strong. Only baby cheetahs can “hide” their claws in their pads, but in adults they do not retract, and the paws are more reminiscent of a dog’s (although the animal leaves “cat” footprints on the ground). Other features that bring the cheetah closer to dogs and further away from its cat relatives are relatively weak jaws with small fangs and hard soles of the paws, which create difficulties when climbing trees and jumping high.

If the body structure of our hero resembles the noble silhouette of a greyhound, and the long tail indicates a clearly feline origin, then his “portrait” is simply inimitable - on his small beautiful muzzle, two black stripes stretch from the eyes to the corners of the mouth, which give the cheetah a slightly sad look. These lines, the so-called “tears”, are characteristic only of this animal and are one of its main distinctive features. The large, brooding eyes are mostly copper-brown in color, but shades may vary between individuals. The fur is short, sparse, and the structure is more reminiscent of a dog's. The color of the coat is pale yellow to golden, with small round black spots scattered throughout the body, except for the tail, where they merge into rings.

Video of a cheetah hunting an impala, Africa

Newborn cheetahs have a darker coloring, and a thick ashy “mane” stretches along the back from the neck to the tail, which is subsequently preserved only in males (specific Latin name animal jubatus is translated as “having a mane, shaggy”). In 1926, an unusually colored species of cheetah was discovered in Zimbabwe, which was called the “royal”. At first it was believed that it was a hybrid with a leopard, but recent genetic studies have disproved this theory. Thus, the “royal” cheetah is no different from the ordinary one, only its color contains large stripes running along the back, and the merging marks are connected in an intricate pattern. “Royal” cheetahs can interbreed with ordinary cheetahs, resulting in full-fledged offspring. And a “titled” cub can be born from parents of a traditional color.

Absolute record holder

The cheetah is the fastest-footed animal. Unlike other cats, he is ideally suited to running. Incredibly, in 2 seconds he can reach a speed of 70 km/h from a standstill! The jumps of the “flying” beast reach 6-8 meters! Absolute speed record - 112 km/h! For comparison, a racehorse runs at a speed of just over 70 km/h, and a greyhound runs at about 65 km/h. However, unlike them, the cheetah can develop extra-agility only at short distances (up to 500 m), after which it needs rest to recuperate. The animal’s unique body structure helps it achieve such exceptional agility - a very flexible spine, light bones, long legs(the rear ones are slightly longer than the front ones) and the tail, which serves as both a steering wheel and a balancer, helping to full speed ahead make sharp turns. The claws, like the spikes on athletic shoes, create better contact with the “treadmill.” The increased amount of oxygen required for such intense muscle work is provided by a significantly enlarged heart and lungs.

Intelligent predator

Of course, such an ideal runner does not use this quality simply for recreational walks. Speed is given to the beast to pursue prey and brings it “daily meat.” Unlike other African predators, this one does not feed on carrion, but recognizes only fresh meat. The main objects of hunting are small antelopes and gazelles; the cheetah can also chase hares or birds, and sometimes feast on wild melons - for him it’s like a refreshing cocktail.

The cheetah goes hunting mainly in the morning or evening, less often at night in the light of the moon. One of the main components of the future meal is the search for a victim, in which the animal’s exceptionally sharp vision helps. The graceful silhouette of a cheetah can be seen on a hill, a termite mound or a fallen tree - the predator surveys the surroundings, looking for the next item on its menu. A keen eye scans the area, choosing prey by the teeth, because even the incredible speed of the chase does not always serve as a guarantee of a hearty feast: often a small nimble antelope manages to hide in the bush, and the unlucky hunter, breathing heavily, returns to his starting position - it’s easier for a cheetah to start all over again than engage in prolonged pursuit. Therefore, the animal can spend hours choosing the most suitable moment to approach the intended victim.

The cheetah literally crawls along the ground, using any unevenness in the landscape as cover - hills, depressions or tall grass. When there are 50-100 meters left to the “meat”, the spotted sprinter begins to pursue. A signature jerk, a strike with a long paw armed with sharp claws - and the overtaken victim flies head over heels. Then follows a lightning-fast grab of the unlucky little animal’s throat with its teeth... If everything goes according to this scenario, you can be happy for the cheetah - today he will be full. To be fair, it should be noted that 40-60% of hunts end successfully for him.

By nature, a cheetah is like real cat, prefers to walk on its own and jealously guards its fishing area from its relatives. But sometimes predators form a hunting alliance. Moreover, during joint hunts, they behave like dogs: they drive the prey towards each other, take it in “pincers”, catch it together and then share the prey. Sometimes the cheetah uses another technique - it tracks its prey at a watering hole and attacks it from an ambush. By the way, while savoring the caught game, our hero (unlike lions and leopards) never helps himself with his front paws. An intelligent predator pulls them under itself and carefully bites off small pieces.

School of Life

A cheetah is not born a hunter - the necessary qualifications are acquired after an “intensive training course” taught by its parents. For example, cheetahs born in captivity do not know how to properly hide prey and pursue prey.

Usually the female gives birth to 1 to 6 tiny cubs. From birth, they feed on mother's milk, around the tenth day their eyes open, and at 3-4 weeks of life they begin to gradually begin to eat meat. Kittens are very touching in their children's outfit - with a fluffy and fluffy mantle on the back, which, like a camouflage robe, reliably hides the baby from prying eyes. After all, cheetahs do not make a den - the “nursery” is located right in the middle of some dense bush. To comply with safety and hygiene regulations, such apartments are changed frequently. Cleanliness is not only a guarantee of health, but also a guarantee that people will not appear here. natural enemies cheetah - lion, leopard and hyena. The mother, of course, tries to hide her cubs well, constantly moving them from place to place during the first months of life, and fearlessly protects them, but it is not always possible to resist more aggressive predators and other vicissitudes of fate - only a third of the cheetah cubs survive to adulthood.

Kids begin to master the basics of hunting science early - they are full of energy and love to frolic. At the age of about one year, young cheetahs begin to hunt with their parents, learning all the intricacies of difficult food acquisition. Adults are lenient about the unsuccessful attempts of “youngsters,” but by about two years of age, cheetahs already acquire the necessary experience for hunting on their own. By this time they usually reach puberty and begin an independent career.

Meow meow? Tick-tweet!

Another unique feature of the cheetah - less well known than its sprinting qualities - is its extremely rich vocal repertoire. The animal makes almost all the sounds that a domestic cat makes, plus absolutely exclusive ones. When a cheetah is happy, its entire body vibrates with a loud purr. Lower tones sound most peaceful if cat family expresses satisfaction with life in chorus. Pleasure is manifested by the sounds “wa-wa” and “nyam-nyam.” “Prr-pr” is a calm call, a very low “i-hi-i-hi” is an alarming one. When defending prey or in a state of irritation, adults growl, purr, snort and click their teeth. And the kids, fighting for the best pieces of meat brought by their parents, emit long screams and sniffle terribly. When the cubs are frightened, they whistle shrilly, and in response to the mother's call they quietly chirp. If a male smells a female who is ready to breed, then a characteristic “crackling” appears in his repertoire - a sound that cheetahs do not make in any other situations. Sometimes from spotted predators you can hear sounds reminiscent of abrupt bird chirping. You can even recognize the voice of the Turk in them (this is a bird of the pheasant family, which is also called the francolin). For a long time it was assumed that in this way the cheetah could lure game birds. But recent bioacoustic studies by Moscow ethologists, who conducted a spectrographic analysis of more than 7,000 sounds recorded in captivity from 14 adult and 14 cheetah cubs, showed that “chirps” were formed during the evolutionary process from meows and are used by cheetahs to express concern.

Hunter in a cap

The first information about human hunting with tame cheetahs dates back to the second millennium BC. Many centuries ago, cheetahs were hunted in many Asian countries. The scale of the hunt can be judged by the fact that Khan Akbar during his reign kept up to 1000 cheetahs at a time. Hunting with cheetahs was especially popular in India, where it became most widespread in the 16th and early 17th centuries.

When going hunting, the chita (an Asian subspecies, which in Latin is called “hunting” (A. j. venaticus), in ancient times was called chita. Now this is what African cheetahs are called) with a special cap on their head, they hid in a cart, covering them with a blanket so that the animal does not rush to prey ahead of time. Usually the cart did not arouse suspicion among wild gazelles, and they allowed it to come to a relatively close distance. Here the cheetah's cap was taken off, he jumped off the cart and rushed in pursuit.

Another way to hunt with a cheetah is to put it on your back. A rider on a horse does not cause much anxiety in gazelles. The gazelles do not see that there are two riders, and when the chita suddenly appears from behind the person and jumps to the ground, it is too late to run away. Sometimes there were three hunters: a man, a cheetah and a gyrfalcon. And then the fastest of birds and the fastest of animals pursued their prey together.

Cheetahs were hunted in many countries in Asia and Europe. Hand cheats were the favorites of the Frankish king Charlemagne and the Mongol ruler Genghis Khan. IN ancient Russian chronicles"pardus" are repeatedly mentioned - this is what hunting cheetahs were called in Rus'. In the margins of Svyatoslav's Collection, which dates back to 1073, two cheetahs with collars are depicted hunting hares.

Centuries ago, cheetahs flourished on the plains of Africa and Asia, where small herbivores, the main prey of predators, were abundant. But man came and reclaimed the lands, displacing both antelopes and cheetahs. True, small scattered populations have now remained throughout almost all of Africa (with the exception of the Sahara Desert and tropical forests). The cheetah is protected by law everywhere, but in some areas, such as Namibia, it is considered dangerous predator and hunting is allowed.

Numerous Asian cheats in the past are currently preserved only in Iran (no more than 50 individuals!). In 2003, Indian scientists decided to restore the Asian cheetah population through cloning. To do this, much more work needs to be done research work, they need about two million dollars, live cells from Iranian cheetahs and female Asian leopards to act as surrogate mothers. And if the experiment is successful, then in a few decades the spotted beauties will again settle in the Asian steppes. In the meantime, to meet this magnificent predator, you need to go on an African safari. Which, believe me, is also very good!

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