Cheetah Mother and Cubs

Caption: Cheetah mother and cubs, Mashatu Game Reserve, Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana. © Scotch Macaskill

Camera: Camera: Canon EOS 50D; Lens Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM; Shutter speed: 1/400; Aperture: f/5.6; ISO: 400.

The above photo of a cheetah mother and her cubs was taken in Mashatu Game Reserve in July 2012. This exceptional mother has successfully raised five cubs. Imagine having to hunt every day to feed five hungry youngsters!

And the bigger the cheetah cubs grow, the more food they need. Eventually they learn the skills to assist with the hunts, but until that stage they can actually be more of a hindrance than a help.

In September 2012, with the cubs now sub-adults and about a year old, the mother was darted and collared as part of the Mashatu Research Programme.

The collar can transmit data via satellite, allowing the cheetah's movements to be monitored over the next couple of years to determine her range use and the size of the area in which she is moving. See more about this on the Mashatu Blog.

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