And so to our last full day in the eastern Serengeti. Can you believe it? We are not even halfway through our two week safari!
We were heading for a region called Seronera. It is an area of totally different topography. Notably, hills, valleys, ponds and poo.
However, on our way there, we had an experience like no other.
One question that I am often asked is how close we get to the wildlife. With predators we can get very close indeed, sometimes they even impinge on my fear nodule.
This time they went one step beyond.
Ian spotted yet another couple of cheetahs. This time, a mother and adolescent daughter.
The mother was watching out for predator and prey as usual, by climbing onto termite mounds.
As we watched them in the hope of a hunt, they came very close to us.
We felt the truck move. I looked around to see what was going on. To come eye to eye with the daughter.
She had mistaken us as a termite mound. A problem that I often have.
I could see her on the spare wheels. Didn't she know that termite mounds don't carry spares?
She climbed up onto the roof. A roof that I was already standing halfway out of.
Instead of chewing my head off, she decided that the rubber roof catches were more tasty.
She moved forward closer to where I was standing, camera in hand. (Mine, not hers.)
Who needs telephoto lenses?
A close encounter of the wild kind.
Meanwhile, behind me, the mother had taken up residence on the bonnet.
She could see no prey,
...so she climbed higher.
Was that prey behind the steering wheel?
All this is totally harmless to the cheetahs. Humans on the other hand... They do not fear humans, and I'm told that they never harm us, despite being able to run even faster than me.
I survived.
The only harm done was to the paintwork due to them being unable to completely retract their claws.
Safely down from the truck, they celebrated with a game of tag.
Lots of fun, but no breakfast for them.
Better keep looking.
Talking of breakfast, it was time for ours. In a very unusual place...
Okay, that's close! 😲
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