Cheetah Safaris in Kenya
Cheetah Safaris in Kenya : Kenya is the main stronghold for the East Africa Cheetah, with the largest population of 800 to 1200 adults in the country since 2015, it was estimated that more than 1000 individuals are resident in the Maasai Mara national reserve and surrounding conservancies like Olare Orok, Mara North and Naboisha. Wildlife safari in Kenya is the best way to witness cheetahs, any Kenya wildlife safari would concur that these magnificent cats exemplify beauty, grace, ability and ferocity. Cheetahs are nowhere near as dangerous as tigers, lions, leopards and all other cats, they are the least dangerous to them, that’s why most of the times the visitors can have direct contact with cheetahs without jeopardizing human life.
The cheetah is well known as the fastest land animal and is among the big cats that hunts by the pure speed, the cheetah is found largely in the open grasslands, its slim, elegant form which is also rare to be sighted. A cheetah typically hunts the smallest animals like the small to medium sized antelopes including the gazelles, impalas and many others. The cheetah is among the special African’s large carnivores in relying on speed as a hunting strategy: long-legged and deep-chested, it is the greyhound of the cat world, capable of surpassing 100km/hr in a short burst. Regular sightings of cheetah on safari are usually sporadic and local, hence they are limited to only a few regions where the habitat and predator pressures are most favorable.
Other national parks in Kenya where you can spot the numerous number of cheetah apart from Maasai Mara National Reserve includes the Amboseli national park, Tsavo national park, Aberdare national park, Lake Nakuru national park, Hell’s gate national park, Marasbit National Park, Lewa Conservancy, Kora National Park, Meru national park. Those raw natural beauty of Kenya’s national parks is something that everyone should have the chance to experience. And there is no better way to experience it than a safari. But how do you choose which of the stunning national parks to visit? Especially when the cheetah Revolutions run a wide range of Kenya safaris in numerous parks across Kenya.
Facts about the cheetahs.
The name cheetah comes from the word Chita, which is in Hinduism means the spotted one.
Cheetahs have been known to swim, but it does not like to, and much prefers to be on land.
Cheetahs also flee if a person makes direct eye contact or approaches them, unlike other animals, which prepare to pounce instead.
Cheetah cannot roar due to the absence of the hyoid bone in its throat, but however it can mimic some calls of the birds, by displaying a chirping sound called chirrup, birds can hear this high-pitched yelp from miles away. Any bird that hears these imitating sounds and falls for this deceiving call also falls prey to the cheetah.
Cheetah pelt is course and rough and not smooth and silky, as it appears to be.
Cheetah’s distinctive black stripes, which are tear shaped stretch from its eye’s corner to the side of its nose all the way down to the outside of its mouth. The stripes keep the animal from being blinded by sunlight and help it to focus on its prey as they act as a riflescope. Also the cheetahs have a distinct coat of fur with solid, round or oval spots, the spots are 600 in average.
Cheetah is twice as fast as the top sprinter in the Olympics, the authorities at the National Geographic Wildlife determined that Usain Bolt would need a 40m gain to beat the cheetah, in short, Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter, will never outrun a cheetah, the fastest animal in the wild.
Tips of viewing the Cheetahs in Kenya.
Cheetahs prefer the open savannah habitats, where they can be easily spot and pursue their prey, the cheetahs are mainly spotted in the regions that offer this terrain, in various national parks and reserves that is the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Par, Aberdare National Park, Lewa Conservancy and many others.
Cheetahs are the rare animals ever, having lost more than 90 percent of their historic range a cross Africa, look for them by day, scanning the grasslands and watching for the prey animals on the alert. Check termite mounds, too: cheetahs have convenient habit of perching on top. Sightings are typically of a female with the cubs or a group of the young males which are called the coalition.
The top camps in Kenya for seeing cheetahs.
During your cheetah safari in Kenya, be expecting to spot the amazing creatures that are known as the cheetahs, these mainly are found in around 10 camps mosty located in Maasai Mara national Reserve like the Kicheche Mara, Offbeat Mara, Naboicho camp, Ol Kinyei Adventure camp, and among others, during your stay to the above camp sites, although the cheetahs are rare, but their preference for hunting by day gives you the decent chance of spotting one in areas, where they can be easily spotted.
Various projects are working to conserve the few remaining cheetahs. That is the Mara Cheetah project and cheetah conservation fund are the two cheetah conservation projects. The objective of Mara cheetah project to protect the cheetahs in Kenya.
