The chase !

Gallery: WildlifePosted March 24, 20111,684 views29 comments

On our November Masai Mara tour last year we were lucky to see the typical play and chase behaviour of a young Cheetah trying to learn how to catch prey. The poor little Thompson's Gazelle did not stand a chance, and although it is all part of nature, it was still quite hard to watch ! Eventually the mother Cheetah took the little Thompsons away from her cub and abruptly ended its playtime.

All comments welcome

Cheers, Stu

Canon 1dMK4
500mm
f5.6
1/2000 sec
ISO 400
Manual Mode

Comments

29 comments

Comment posted by Wayne Willison on March 24, 2011 at 6:59 PM

Bad news for the Gazelle, but a real action filled image. Good shooting. Stu.

Registered on April 10, 2009, 292 Posts, 3967 Comments

Comment posted by Andrei Malashenko on March 24, 2011 at 11:27 PM

Fantastic shot! Nothing else to add. best regards, Andrei

Registered on March 18, 2011, 13 Posts, 68 Comments

Comment posted by mark cillo on March 24, 2011 at 11:44 PM

Really awesome action shot! I wonder where the critical focus is placed, on the Gazelle? It is hard to tell at this small size. Really incredible thing to witness

Registered on July 27, 2008, 143 Posts, 1483 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on March 25, 2011 at 12:52 AM

See now if you'd showed me this photo before I would have probably scuttled my plans for SA and headed to Kenya again instead - LOL ;^p

Seriously Stu, this is a classic capture of raw Nature that anyone would be delighted to have in their collection, very well executed my friend ... and thanks for giving me another picture to help me in my daily visualising exercises in preparation for the trip ahead ;^)

All the very best :^)

Ashley

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on March 25, 2011 at 12:54 AM

Great action capture, a "smaller" version of last years BBC winner.

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on March 25, 2011 at 4:57 AM

Hi Stu, a lesson in Life and how brutal life can be in the bush, or on the plains. The Cheetah caught in a classic stance, left paw outstretched in the attempt to trip the fawn. I wonder if you had a few more frames further on, this behaviour might have been seen more easily? A nice capture with good drama.

TFS
Steve

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on March 25, 2011 at 8:07 AM

A terrific frame !
For Cheetah it's a game n for Gazelle, a matter of life n death.
( I wonder, why tail looks very fluffy to me?

)
Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on March 25, 2011 at 10:03 AM

The flow of both action and shapes makes for terrific composition. Superb.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on March 25, 2011 at 12:15 PM

Good timing to get this action and the looks from both animals really adds to the scene you have photographed. Well done, thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Cloran on March 25, 2011 at 12:19 PM

stellar shot.

Great action and nature story.

Registered on April 6, 2004, 119 Posts, 1989 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on March 25, 2011 at 2:46 PM

nothing I can add here but stand and applaud - excellent photography Stu!!

Registered on March 22, 2011, 385 Posts, 2068 Comments

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on March 26, 2011 at 12:50 AM

Wow! An image that one would give an arm and a leg for!

Registered on December 19, 2008, 302 Posts, 2055 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on March 26, 2011 at 2:32 AM

How exciting to see this! I too have mixed feelings when viewing scenes like this. I look at the Gazelle and see mortal terror all over its face. I look at the young Cheetah and see grace and power and eagerness. It is a great image, Stu.

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by John Blumenkamp on March 26, 2011 at 10:51 AM

Fantastic moment captured Stu! I really like the angle you've captured here too... leaves me wondering if that left paw of the cheetah is getting to the gazelle. Great image.

Registered on February 26, 2011, 58 Posts, 313 Comments

Comment posted by Stu Porter on March 26, 2011 at 2:25 PM

Many thanks to everyone for your kind comments, it was a special sighting, my first cheetah chase up close and personal :) I did feel sorry for the fawn, it had no chance once it had been spotted, the whole exercise lasted well over 25 mins and both were exhausted at the end. Sorry to throw that spanner in there Ashley :) - but you never know what might happen out there (wherever "out there" might be) Steve, I agree with you, would have been nice to have the ankle tap as such more clear, next frame on the foal was turned, close to the right edge of the frame and the cheetah looked a bit awkward, what would have been if the sequence was executed a split second earlier or later ??, thats the joy - there is always room for improvement !! cheers Stu

Registered on March 10, 2011, 8 Posts, 58 Comments

Comment posted by Ingrid Vekemans on March 27, 2011 at 6:45 AM

I've nothing much to add. Superb!

Ingrid.

Registered on August 2, 2010, 138 Posts, 780 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Richter on March 30, 2011 at 4:10 PM

Since capturing the right moment is substantial in photography, you did it perfectly! Congrats on WP!

Peter

Registered on November 10, 2010, 218 Posts, 2723 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on March 30, 2011 at 5:14 PM

Congrats on the nice EP!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on March 30, 2011 at 6:16 PM

Congrats Stu

Sweet action behavior photo.

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on March 30, 2011 at 7:42 PM

Yeah, the Thompson's has to win every time; the Cheetah only has to win once. Congratulations on the EP!

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Craig Jones on March 31, 2011 at 5:44 AM

Amazing image love the intense stare of the Cheetah, nature at her best and worse for the prey. Brilliant image and well done on the WP Stu

Registered on January 31, 2009, 67 Posts, 316 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on March 31, 2011 at 9:36 AM

Richly deserved award for the Weekly Pick Stu, congratulations my friend :^)

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on March 31, 2011 at 11:01 AM

OMG on this capture! wow ! Congratulations on the wp as well. Well deserved.

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by Jenaya Launstein on March 31, 2011 at 1:55 PM

Wow! Awesome action shot, it sure looks like that little Thompson's Gazelle is in full flight! If you look even closer at the cheetah, it looks like he's trying to reach out for the Gazelle. Great timing, and amazing image!

Registered on February 8, 2011, 254 Posts, 1302 Comments

Comment posted by Stu Porter on March 31, 2011 at 4:00 PM

many thanks to everyone for your very kind comments, cheers, Stu

Registered on March 10, 2011, 8 Posts, 58 Comments

Comment posted by Zachary Lake on April 1, 2011 at 6:47 PM

Yeah, this is ok

I like how the gazelle's lips look like they are yelling MOMMMMMMMMM!!! This is a stunning shot.

Registered on July 1, 2008, 24 Posts, 120 Comments

Comment posted by Ruben Vicente on April 9, 2011 at 3:04 PM

Amazing shot! Great timing, full of action. I can see the dispair in the Gazelle's eyes, running for life.