A stunning series of photographs captures the intense moment a young cheetah in Kenya’s Masai Mara reserve chased down a hare after going without food for two days.
After a quick, five-second pursuit, the hungry predator managed to catch the hare, having startled it from its hiding spot in the grass. The cheetah had failed to catch impalas in three earlier hunts, leaving it desperate for a meal.
Canadian photographer Jeffrey Wu, who led a photography tour in the reserve, captured the dramatic chase.
Wu, 52, shared that the cheetah is one of two 20-month-old brothers who have recently become independent after leaving their mother.
“These young cheetahs are still learning how to hunt, and in the three days we followed them, we saw them miss their prey three times,” Wu explained.
“Their primary food sources right now are smaller animals like hares and baby warthogs, which are more abundant during migration season in the Masai Mara.”
One of the two hunts Wu witnessed ended with the hare becoming the cheetah’s much-needed meal, ending the young cat’s tense wait for food.
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