The clash of the spotted cats
Let’s face it, people want to see big cats. If I ever go to Alaska, I’d like to see the birds, sure, but I’d also want to see wolves and bears. So it is in Africa, where lions, cheetahs and leopards are top of the wish list.
The smaller and less common cats, however, are equally exciting to see. On a recent photo safari that I guided, we saw a remarkable interaction between two of Africa’s spotted cats.
Late one morning, when most predators are snoozing in the shade, we came upon a relaxed serval. Then it got weird: A few hundred metres away, a cheetah materialised, equally unfazed by our presence. The gap between the predators narrowed. The cheetah noticed the serval first…