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King Cheetah
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 2:11 pm
by Flutterby
Someone took this pic in Kruger today They only managed a bad pic with a cellphone but they are convinced it was a King Cheetah!
I enlarged it to this.
Re: Photo Gallery: Cats of Kruger
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 3:53 pm
by Lisbeth
Looks like one
Did they say where they saw it?
Re: Photo Gallery: Cats of Kruger
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 4:31 pm
by Flutterby
10kms from Letaba going towards Olifants.
Re: King Cheetah
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 5:42 pm
by Flutterby
Breaking News
After a long absence, (previous confirmed sighting was many years ago in Sabie Sands) a king cheetah has been photographed (and identified as such by Andrew Desmet and John Adamson) near Letaba!!!!!
Re: King Cheetah
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 5:52 pm
by Richprins
Certainly not normal!
...they have all sorts of patterns:
One can check many google images, and virtually all of them have a heavily-barred tail.
Can you get hold of the lady for a big pic, Flutts, so we can send on?
Re: King Cheetah
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 6:01 pm
by Richprins
A clear pic was taken by a tourist near Tshokwane about 35 years ago, will try and find it! The last Kruger one.
Re: King Cheetah
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 6:05 pm
by Richprins
Here we go!
Re: King Cheetah
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 6:09 pm
by Richprins
So
Re: King Cheetah
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 7:23 pm
by Lisbeth
From page two in the Cheetah topic:
Its species status was resolved in 1981 when king cheetahs were born at the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre in South Africa. In May 1981, two spotted sisters gave birth there and each litter contained one king cheetah. The sisters had both mated with a wild-caught male from the Transvaal area (where king cheetahs had been recorded). Further king cheetahs were later born at the Centre. It has been known to exist in Zimbabwe, Botswana and in the northern part of South Africa's Transvaal province. A recessive gene must be inherited from both parents for this pattern to appear, which is one reason why it is so rare.
So it is still possible that there are a few around somewhere
Re: King Cheetah
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 9:00 am
by Dzombo
I seem to recall there are quite a few of them at De Wildt