Photographers Witness An Amazing Scene Of 5 Cheetahs Crossing A Raging River Infested With Crocodiles

What happens when you are exploring a wildlife sanctuary and come across the most amazing sight that you everyday tourist doesn’t get to see? Well, you take out your cameras and shoot away, of course. That is exactly what a group of people did when they were exploring the famous Masai Mara National reserve in Kenya. Masai Mara is famous for its wildlife and natural scenery and has always been a favorite hunt for wildlife and nature photographers. It has also been the stage for several dramatic award-winning wildlife photos too like the pictures below that show intense thrilling scenes of 5 cheetahs bravely crossing a croc infested river.

A dramatic scene unfolding in the wild

The group spotted a dramatic incident unfolding before their very eyes. An entire family of cheetahs gathered on the edge of a croc-infested river that was flooding its banks. The current was strong, but being wild animals, they just didn’t care and decided to cross it anyways.

They kept gathering near the water’s edge as if in discussion, “should we cross or not?”

They kept feeling the water.

It seemed the cheetahs were apprehensive at first and kept testing the water. Obviously, they may have sensed something wrong even though they have crossed the same river on many occasions. So, why was it different today?

The photographer captured the leader leaping into the water brilliantly and made for a majestic site that spoke of courage and bravery. But then again, big or small animals are all fearless creatures.

The cheetahs had only one goal in mind.

The cheetahs seemed to have made up their minds to cross the river. Despite the danger from the crocs, the cheetahs decided to go for it. The first ones to leap into the water were the largest cheetahs. The leader landed in the water and started swimming. Seeing this, the others started following suit. It was truly a moment to remember.

It was breathtaking for the spectators.

Seeing this happening was breathtaking for the people in the audience. Soon two more cheetahs jumped into the water while the onlookers waited with bated breath. Two photographers in the group, Arnfin Johansen and Buddhilini De Soya, beautifully captured the entire incident with incredible pictures you see here. They captured the drama that unfolded perfectly.

The cheetahs hunt on both sides of the river.

The photographers had been following the cheetahs for some time. They revealed that the cheetahs hunted on both sides of the Talek river, so they wanted to cross it. Usually, they would have crossed the river by hopping on stones, but because of the incessant rains, the river was flooded, and the stones were no longer visible.

The river is also home to the vicious Nile crocodile

Johansen explained to reporters that the cheetahs were pacing up and down for some time, trying to find a suitable spot to cross since the rapid currents were dangerous. The river is also home to the Nile crocodiles making things worse for the cheetahs, who may have been easy meals.

Crocodiles attack any animal trying to cross

The photographer said that there was a possibility of high casualties because recently, one cheetah who tried crossing the river was attacked by crocs, who took it down. This is why crossing the river was a huge risk for the family of cheetahs, who decided to do it anyways. The cheetahs were a group of five brothers.

Every member followed the leader.

Once the largest male had jumped into the water, others took his lead and followed after waiting for a few seconds. The photographers saw that the cheetahs didn’t like what they were experiencing, but they fought the current bravely to get to the other side unscathed. The funniest part remarked Johansen was when the lead cheetah shook himself dry and hissed at the river. 

The Masai Mara is one of the most famous reserves in the world

Masai Mara is a preserved area of Savannah wilderness in Kenya Rift Valley Province. It stretches across 1,510 square kilometers and is home to wildlife and tribal villages. The expanse gets its name from the Masai tribe, who refer to the land as the Mara. The vast area was established as a National Reserve in 1961, and there is a peaceful coexistence between man and animals who roam freely.

Home to the big five

The Masai Mara is a breathtaking place and is home to Africa’s big 5 The African elephant, Cape buffalo, African Leopard, African lion, and the African Rhino. Besides these, it also is home to thousands of wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, giraffes, crocodiles, hippos, and 500 bird species.

Hosts the breathtaking wildebeest migration every year

The Masai Mara is frequented by several award-winning photographers whose photos have been featured in most wildlife photography competitions held by Sony and National Geographic. The most dramatic scene in the reserve is the annual wildebeest migration, as over 2 million of them can be seen traveling 50 miles from the Serengeti National Park to the Masa Mara. Of these, nearly 250,000 don’t make it because of thirst, exhaustion, and falling prey to predators. Several other thousand animals, including gazelles and zebras, also follow the same route crossing the Mara River as well. The best time to visit the reserve is between July and October.

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