This is the moment two cheetah cubs finally catch and kill an impala fawn as it desperately tries to run for its life.
These amazing photographs, taken in the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya, show a female cheetah demonstrating to her offspring the vital skill of how to hunt and kill.
Missed opportunity: if only the impala could have made a run for it…
A cheetah mother captures the young fawn only to bring it to her young cubs so they can learn to do the same
Under their mother’s ever-watchful eye, the unskilled hunters search for vulnerable prey in the planes of the reserve.
Once spotted, the young fawn doesn’t stand a chance against the hungry and experienced mother which can chase her to speeds of 70mph.
Under their mother’s watchful gaze the young cubs learn the art of hunting a young antelope
The impala fawn tries to escape as the inexperienced cubs try to pin her down
The experienced hunter corners and catches the prey and brings it to her offspring so they can learn to do the same.
After watching her corner and the prey the cubs attempt a clumsy chase and after several minutes finally manage to pin the exhausted fawn and eventually kill it.
One of the cubs makes a clumsy attempt to pin down the exhausted fawn
The cubs corner the fawn, leaving their mother with little else to do but supervise the kill
Hunting is the most important lesson the cubs can learn from their mother as these skills not only ensure they can hunt for food, but can also teach them how to avoid predators, such as eagles.
Mastering the skill of the hunt will be vital to the cub’s survival as they are left to fend for themselves once they reach 18 months of age.