Antonio S. Chamorro – April’s Featured Photographer
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- by 29 April 2022
You may have seen the incredible photography of wildlife photographer Antonio S. Chamorro making our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram look especially amazing over the past week or so. Antonio was kind enough to let us share some of his photographs, and the stories behind each of them. We wanted to give these beautiful photographs and stories a forever home, and share the unedited captions that were a bit too long for social media, but perfect for this blog! Enjoy!
Imani
Female cheetahs are very protective of their cubs. They have a lot of threats. In the Masai Mara I have been able to see how baboons, hyenas and even lions tried to attack cubs. Imani, the female cheetah in the picture, defended them even at the cost of risking her life. Her four cheetah cubs always corresponded with a lot of pampering.
Nashipai
In the past years I have been lucky enough to follow one of the bravest cheetahs of the Masai Mara, Nashipai. It is very difficult for cheetahs to raise their cubs, even in the Masai Mara. Lions, leopards or hyenas are a threat for them. On this occasion, Nashipai was patrolling the savannah looking for prey while her two young cubs were playing not far from her. After a while, a gazelle fell into her claws.
Ngao & Namelok
In the photo we see the so-called Nashipai boys, who had already become independent of their mother Nashipai and at that time were great hunters. We can see the difference between Ngao (the male on the left) and Namelok (the female on the right). Ngao is visibly bigger. They would have stayed together until Namelok entered the heat and began to be stalked by other male cheetahs – unfortunately this never happened. Namelok was killed by a lion so young Ngao had to survive alone.
NgaoAfter trying and failing to hunt a Thomson’s gazelle, young male Ngao rests on top of a hill, swatting flies away with his tail. For a moment, Ngao appeared to be shielding his eyes from the sun.
Ngao is the son of brave Nashipai and sister of Namelok. Unfortunately, a few weeks after I took this picture, Ngao lost his sister. Presumably, she died in a fight with a lion. Now, young Ngao has to survive alone. The story of this brother and sister shows us the difficulties that cheetahs have to survive to adulthood.
Ngao is the son of brave Nashipai and sister of Namelok. Unfortunately, a few weeks after I took this picture, Ngao lost his sister. Presumably, she died in a fight with a lion. Now, young Ngao has to survive alone. The story of this brother and sister shows us the difficulties that cheetahs have to survive to adulthood.
Nne Bora
I have been lucky enough to follow for many years the adventures of the deadliest cheetah coalition of the Masai Mara: the Tano Bora. The “fantastic five” were capable of hunting big prey such as wildebeest or topis.
When I took this picture, they already were the Nne Bora, because one cheetah (Olpadan) had left the coalition and they were only four. However, they were still the deadliest. In the image we see how one of the cheetahs was suffocating his victim while the other tries to knock her down. Meanwhile, the other two members of the coalition were doing the same with another topi. Finally the four of them took down two topis. The technique, speed and strength of these cheetahs is something that I don’t think I will ever see again.
When I took this picture, they already were the Nne Bora, because one cheetah (Olpadan) had left the coalition and they were only four. However, they were still the deadliest. In the image we see how one of the cheetahs was suffocating his victim while the other tries to knock her down. Meanwhile, the other two members of the coalition were doing the same with another topi. Finally the four of them took down two topis. The technique, speed and strength of these cheetahs is something that I don’t think I will ever see again.
Olchore
Cheetahs take advantage of any elevation in the terrain, such as this termite mound, to search for their prey. Once spotted, they will sneak up on them until they are at the right distance to launch their attack with the possibility of success.
They will choose their prey very well before launching the attack. Their victims are usually babies or animals in which they observe some weakness. Among the males and females they will always choose the females because they are less strong than the males.
When it chooses a prey, the cheetah will launch the race and will not change its objective no matter how close another one crosses its path, no matter how close it is. I took this picture of Olchore looking for prey in the Masai Mara.
Rosetta boys
Four eyes surely see more than two. In this case, the four eyes of our friends Ruka and Rafiki (the Rosetta boys) aligned perfectly to scan the horizon in search of prey. Cheetahs are also always alert to possible enemies that may surprise them, so these four eyes are always watching. It was great to spend time with this brother and sister. They became independent from their mother just a year before, so it was awesome to see how they managed to survive.
A huge thank you to Antonio for letting us showcase his amazing photographs! If you’d like to see more of his work, please visit Antonio’s website or Instagram.
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