A Volunteer's Perspective: Wild Dogs vs. Cheetah by Kath Danaher

Who do you think would win a face-off between a cheetah and a wild dog pack? Well, we got the chance to watch a confrontation between these amazing predators, and find out. First on the scene at about 4 in the afternoon was Scarlet, a female collared cheetah. She was moseying along the fenceline, looking very relaxed; perhaps ready for a bit of a lie-down.

Enter stage right, trotting along the fenceline from the opposite direction, two yearlings from the wild dog pack, rambunctious, playful, curious, and generally looking for mischief. As soon as they spotted Scarlet their big bat ears pricked forward and they split up, ready to circle their prey.

Scarlet, cat-like, starts a low threatening whine, and slinks towards some vegetation, head down. The dogs get really excited, and make little darts towards her, not too close yet. And then...the other 11 members of the wild dog pack arrive on the scene, keen to see what all the fuss is about, jumping about, play-fighting: a bunch of kids out for a good time (all of them but two are really still puppies).

Scarlet takes a look, and snarls. This would be no fair fight. Although she could outrun them over a short distance, they could chase her into open country and easily surround her, and then she would have no chance - she'd be one ex-cheetah. Wild dogs are incredibly efficient hunters, with a kill-rate of well over 50%.

So Scarlet looks for the nearest thicket, and sneaks into it, trying to protect her back. The dogs are willing to have a go, trotting around the thicket, sneaking as close as they dare, until Scarlet screams and lunges and the whole pack jumps backwards in unison. And always the cat-whine, rising and falling. The dogs are willing to sit and wait, pulling at the wood in the thicket, trotting away then back again, taunting.

Luckily for Scarlet, the pack, just kids, don't have the attention span, and maybe don't even realise how dangerous they are. They also seem a bit confused: other spotted cats they've encountered will just run up the nearest tree, so what's with this one? So first one, then another, they lose interest, start bothering a branch, or eating grass, sniffing the air. Then one of them decides to look for easier prey, and they trot off in dribs and drabs, looking back to see if they need to have another go at Scarlet.

So Scarlet lives to fight another day. A few minutes later she crept out of the thicket, and slinked slowly and carefully in the opposite direction, doing her best camouflage act against the grass and dirt. What would happen if this drama was reenacted in a year's time, when the pups have reached maturity, it could have a much less happy ending...

Kath Danaher

Volunteer, GVI Zimanga

A Volunteer's Perspective: Wild Dogs vs. Cheetah by Kath Danaher