by Matthew Cobb
Now that’s what I call a safari: a group of impala charge across the road, oblivious to the safari cars, focused only on one thing: escaping the cheetah. The cat is similarly single-minded. One of the impala ends up bumping into a car. Spoiler: the cheetah goes hungry. This time.
Yep, I’d turn my back on the predator while my torso’s hanging out the window, to get a video of the fleeing prey.
But back to evolution – how far back do antelope and white-tail deer share a common ancestor?
I thought that too. He seems the sort to call over the cheetah, holding out his hand for them to smell. 🙂
Timetree is your friend! Website and free app. It says that impala and pronghorn have been separated for a surprising (to me) 32 million years.
Thx! Seems a long time to me too, but probably a good example to throw up to those wanting to know why c_ts don’t change into dogs in their lifetimes.
Occurs to me that the guy with the videocamera is into evolution, too – he was trying to win a Darwin Award.
Cheetas aren’t that dangerous and powerful. Sure they’ll scratch and bite you if you back them into a corner, but they aren’t likely to attack you unprovoked.
Had it been a leopard or a lion, I’d be more cautious though.
I’m suddenly reminded of the video of a game warden trying to get a leopard out of a live trap in the back of his truck… by poking it with a stick.
The results were extremely predictable.
Yeah, I remember that one.
Here it is.
I’m not at all surprised, and I have no sympathy at all for the ranger. The cat gave him more than ample warning.
Why the rush to get her out of the cage? Once she expressed her displeasure, the obvious and proper response would be to apologize to the cat, explain to her that she’s free to go whenever she’s good and ready, and to sit and wait (in a secure location) for her to go. It wouldn’t have taken long.
But poke her with a stick? While she’s screaming at you?
How stupid do you have to be?
b&
As a former zookeeper I can only agree with you.
That cat was obviously pissed and they should’ve let it go at its own pace.
“Hey, I know. Here we’ve got this apex predator whose favorite prey is larger, stronger, faster, and better-armed than me. And we’ve got her in a cage, and boy is she pissed. So let’s poke her with a stick!”
Truly, the human in that vignette was not the smartest mammal in the cast.
b&
I believe we can all safely say that any plan that involves poking a leopard with a stick is a bad plan.
Not necessarily…if one has a plan for convincing, say, Pat Robertson to poke a leopard with a stick, that could be a rather good plan….
b&
@Ben Goren
What did the leopard ever do to you that made you want to inflict Pat Robertson on it?
What? You don’t think he’d make a good squeaky toy? I’d think he’d make a pretty good squeaky toy.
Okay, not the most animated of squeaky toys, but I bet he’d squeak quite satisfyingly for the leopard.
b&
I guess driving a convertible would be extra risky business here given you could get a car full of impala or a face full of cheetah!
Wow, those fellas sure can jump!
I believe the story ended up as the impala actually
jumped into the vehicle through an open window and was eventually let out an open door on the opposite side.
When I read the headline, the first image that came into my head was a cheetah chasing a Chevrolet Impala.
Riddle for you:
What’s the difference between a cheater and a cheetah?
I’ll give the answer later today.
A hare?
A cheetah sometimes prospers, just not today.
I could be wrong about the last part. The impala made a heck of a bang when he hit the car. If he’s injured and limping then the cheetahs may eat after all.
I was actually trying to think of a way to go for a bad pun…luckily for everybody else, you ruined it for me….
b&
One lives in North America, the other in the UK.
The official answer:
A cheater is a cunning rat and a cheetah is a running cat.
That’s a typical Kruger Park scene – lots of cars. Not so typical to have an impala join you in the front seat though.
Now if the impala had jumped into a Chevy Impala, that would really have been something.
Hahahaha this is fantastic! And Paul’s comment just makes my day! Thank you Paul.