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The amazing truth about cheetah behaviour

Staff at South Africa’s Samara Private Game Reserve have discovered something remarkable during the tourism hiatus.

Chilli with some of her eight cheetah cubs. Picture: Samara
Chilli with some of her eight cheetah cubs. Picture: Samara

Staff at South Africa’s Samara Private Game Reserve have spent the tourism hiatus watching the inhabitants of their arid landscape with keen eyes. And they have discovered something remarkable.

Female cheetahs, normally considered solitary, have been seen sharing the mother load with other mums with cubs. Chilli has engaged in “allo-mothering”, when young are cared for by individuals other than their biological mother.

Chilli and her adult daughter Inara, who had litters one month apart, were seen suckling and grooming each other’s cubs. It’s even been suggested they hunted together. Up until now, it was believed only male cheetahs socialised in groups.

samara.co.za

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/travel/the-amazing-truth-about-cheetah-behaviour/news-story/cf2364b32d183bb88e6799b9e7fc7872