Dramatic storms and double rainbows pave the way for high-octane game viewing in the Nossob riverbed in southern Africa’s first peace park
Our muscles tense at the sudden movement. We’ve been watching in silence for over an hour, noting every twitch, head turn and tail flick. But this is different. Completely alert with ears pricked and body low, a cheetah is holding herself in check like a seasoned athlete on the starting block, eyes trained on the tiny springbok lamb. It’s been gradually drifting away from the protection of the herd in the dry riverbed straight towards the shallow gully where she’s hidden. Any second now…
Minutes later we’re marvelling in awe, and feeling sad in equal measure, at what just happened right in front of us. The explosive chase, the twisting run of the panicked young buck, allowing it to escape the reach of the cheetah’s claws at first try, followed by a second powerful sprint at full stretch down the riverbed, then that whirling plume of dust signalling her success – it all happened so quickly, yet felt like ponderous stop motion.