SOUTH AFRICA - Hoedspruit - Nombi - My Cheetah friend (Video Story) (NMw)

South Africa - Hoedspruit. About a year ago, I was invited by the Sussens family to take photos on their game reserve in Hoedspriut, Tshukudu. One afternoon we sat down for tea and biscuits at the Sussens residence, next to the bush camp, when Ntombi came to visit. She is not a pet. Ntombi is a cheetah that was hand-raised by the rangers after her mother, Savannah was killed by lions.
She roams freely on the reserve but usually stays close to the bush camp for protection from her brothers Floppy and Hunter. When they were cubs, they got along fine, but when they reached sexual maturity, the brothers tried to drive Ntombi away. Male cheetahs will form strong bonds with each other, but the females are loners. And brothers will not mate with a sister. With Ntombi in the territory, no other female could come in, so in the past, the brothers tried to force her out and injured her quite badly.
I remember feeling the vibration when she purred. It was recommended not to make any sudden movements, but she walked passed me rubbing her ears on my hands just like an overgrown house cat. During my stay at Tshukudu, I would have coffee almost every morning with her sitting next to me and walk through the bush with her like two wild animals. Her being slightly more wild than me.
Last week I received word from Tshukudu that Ntombi was attacked by three hyenas from a neighboring reserve and succumbed to her injuries. It was a privilege to have known such a beautiful wild animal.Pictures and Story:Armand Hough (NMw)