Cita

 

OK, I just finished reading a cheetah book from the library called "Cheetah" and I'd like to correct a statement about the adult males being solitary cats. Adult males are more likely to live and hunt with another male cat. Adult males are a little bigger on average than adult females and they have the shaggy hair on the back of their heads and necks. All cheetah cubs have this same shagginess but the females lose it when they mature.

 

 

This is one of my favorite photos with a mom and her four cubs relaxing but still looking around for danger or possible meals. I like how they're arranged in a semi circle around the mom and mostly keeping watch in different directions. I came home from work Sunday night to Sue's announcement that she ordered The Animal Planet channel so we can enjoy Big Cat Diary weekdays at 6 and 6:30 am.

 

This is the Serengeti - note the lack of trees.

 

 

We were encouraged to stand up in our moving vehicle for the best views (and an increased level of danger.)

 

 

Cita is the Hindi word for cheetah meaning "the spotted one". One of the deep thoughts that I served up to our group was how certain words seem to be common in many languages. I was referring to the word "tea" which is very similar in most of the languages I've been exposed to. My deep thoughts became a recurring joke.  Apparently the sound of the word "coffee" in Swahili is a request to slap the speaker in the face.

 

 

As I mentioned earlier, we saw 15 different Cheetahs in about two hours in Ndutu.

 

 

If only these guys were hungry we might have seen a chase.  We probably wouldn't have been able to follow a 60 mile per hour cheetah chasing a gazelle in long grass. . .