• The developments of mankind have robbed cheetahs of land they used to roam
Image: GARETH JONES
As I looked over the plains not far from the Hyena dam, near the fence line, a herd of Kongoni were feeding.
To their left, a whitish shape appeared in the long grass. The shape disappeared and then reappeared. After looking through the binoculars, my heart leaped! It was a cheetah!
I drove closer and had a sighting of this cheetah, stalking and chasing a herd of Kongoni. If only this was now, but sadly it was in January 2012.
The last cheetah cub sighting was in April 2012 between junction No4 and No5. Yes! Cheetah are the rarest cats in the Nairobi National Park. Ironically, the exact place where the cheetah chased the Kongoni is now in the area of the current Southern bypass highway.
It is difficult to say how many cheetah are still in the park, there have only been sightings of a single cheetah in recent months. Years ago, the park had a healthy population. Sadly, changes in their favourable environment caused them to disappear over a period of less than 10 years.
Cheetah are fast, efficient hunters, reaching speeds of close to 115kph. They are very sensitive to human developments and easily threatened by other large predators.
There is a fairly heathly population of more than 20 cheetahs south of the Nairobi National Park on the Athi-Kapiti plains. It would be very sad if cheetah are no longer resident in the Nairobi National Park.
It is hoped by many that the Kenya Wildlife Service will find a way of re-introducing other cheetahs to the park, so their future will not be a case of going, going, GONE.
Yes, sadly, it is so very true that the developments of mankind have indeed “cheated the cheetahs” of land they used to roam.
The park is open daily from 06h00 to 19h00. For more information on the park, you can link to the following website www.kws.go.ke