Wildlife photographer has rare encounter with cheetah and her cubs

By Ottilie Von Henning via SWNS

A wildlife photographer had an amazing rare encounter with a mother cheetah and her adorable five young cubs.

Francois Fourie, 36, was out filming content on the Rietvlei Nature Reserve in South African when he came across the family.

Whilst still maintaining a respectful distance, Francois was able to capture footage of the cubs and their mother playing around together.

Francois, a full-time wildlife photographer and videographer from Pretoria, said: "I consider myself extremely lucky to have seen this interaction.

"Most adult animals in the area are used to vehicles moving around but babies aren't, so they often stay hidden.

"We were the first people to see these cubs specifically and cheetahs are usually older when they're first seen."

The cubs have noticeable tufts of black and white fur on their backs, which is a defense mechanism, according to Francois.

He said: "It allows them to blend into their environment but the theory is that it also mimics the fierce honey badgers coloration and can act as deterrent to other threats.

"It is called 'Batesian Mimicry' and could give them a few spare seconds to get away."

According to Francois, it is very unusual to see a litter of several cubs as by the time they are seen, one has already passed.

He said: "It's not abnormal for a cheetah to have a litter of four or five cubs but usually by the time they are seen, one has already passed.

"So getting to see all five together and playing around was a really special moment."