Cheetahs in the Masai Mara, Kenya

The Cheetah is not only one of the world's fastest land mammals - built for speed, it is one of my favorite cats.  The sleekness and beauty is undeniable.  Their heads are small and rounded with small ears and large deep orange colored eyes, with a pronounced black stripe extending from the inner corners of their eyes to the mouth.  I have tried to capture the color of the facial features, especially their eyes.  They have long tails that are spotted with black for most of its length, but near the end  have a series of black rings and a white tip.  Each animal has a pattern of tail rings that is as unique to that cheetah as a human's finger prints.  A female cheetah will usually have 2-4 cubs that will remain with mom until they are adult size about 14-16 months old. Their life span in the African savannas is about 10 - 12 years.  They are found in the eastern and southwestern parts of Africa with only about 12,000 remaining today.

CHEETAHS OF THE MASAI MARA Cheetahs from Masai Mara 2010 CH-101: Cheetah Profile Cheetahs from Masai Mara 2010 CH-113:Regal