Shocking photographs capture the dramatic moment a cheetah grabs a huge antelope and tackles it to the ground before devouring it and its herd.
A group of photography tourists witnessed this event on the banks of the Talek River in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, last week. Guided by Canadian photographer Jeffrey Wu, they waited for six hours until the cheetahs attacked a trio of antelopes resting in the grass.
The leader of the pack executed the attack, knocking down one of the topis in less than three seconds with an acrobatic maneuver. Then the rest of the cheetahs joined the attack and overwhelmed the group. According to Wu, it is rare to see a single cheetah taking on an adult topi, as these antelopes are large and agile, which can make it difficult for the predator to succeed.
Wu explained that for five cheetahs, their usual prey includes larger animals such as topi and wildebeest, as only larger mammals can satisfy the appetite of so many adult cheetahs.
The attack was described by Wu as swift and lethal, with the lead cheetah leaping onto the topi and taking it down within seconds. The photograph captured this crucial moment when the antelope lost its balance and fell to the ground, falling prey to predators.
