Cheetah cubs play with a gazelle - before a BABOON steals it

These cheetah cubs may have caught a gazelle – but they have no idea what to do with it.

Fascinating pictures by wildlife photographer Laura Dyer show the six-month-olds pawing and chasing the tiny fawn their mother has sourced for them.

But, incredibly, their dithering meant a BABOON was able to bound in and snatch the frightened prey away.

Laura captured the action in Kenya’s Masai Mara at the Naboisho Conservancy in December.

She explains: “The cheetah cubs are just under six months old, and their mom caught this new born baby Thomson's gazelle for them to learn how to hunt on.

“Of course, they haven't any idea as this would be the first time they are participating in a hunt, so don't know how to kill the gazelle.

“This went on under mom's watchful eye and shepherding for forty minutes or so until a massive male baboon saw the commotion and ran in, stealing the baby gazelle for himself. Baboons do sometimes catch and kill prey, but it's very unusual.

Laura was staying at the Kicheche Valley camp.