A cheetah swatted at an impala that had jumped straight into its arms during an ambush near a waterhole in South Africa.
Last month, a herd of impalas were drinking near Rahlogo’s hide in Pilanesberg National Park with only zebras and some guinea fowl for company.
Out of nowhere a hungry cheetah appeared and launched an attack on the herd and while many of the graceful animals escaped, one ran straight into the arms of death.
The impala tried to jump on its predator, which was about to knock it down amid the chaos.
As she jumped into the air, the cheetah followed her and, raising her hind legs, managed to grab the antelope, stop her momentum, and slam her to the ground in a move more typical of a wrestling ring.
Once the dust has settled, two of the cheetah cubs appear to drag the impala away from the kill site to enjoy its meal.
An incredible set of photos by Deon Hoon, 62, captured the entire sequence and described it as the “longest 58 seconds of my life.”
The impala tries to jump on its hunter after the cheetah appeared out of nowhere near a waterhole in South Africa.
The cheetah followed its prey into the sky and stopped the antelopes in mid-air in Pilanesberg National Park in South Africa.
The impala tries to stretch forward in a last attempt to escape the clutches of its hunter in the bush.
It’s all over for the antelope when the cheetah begins to lower its dinner to the ground in a wrestling-type move.
As the dust is kicked up from the ground, the cheetah pushes the impala down, stopping it in its tracks.
The big cat attacks its prey seconds before two cubs appear and drag the impala away from the kill site in South Africa.
