Jungle Camouflage: Cheetahs
In Jungle Camouflage: Cheetahs, narrator Gordon Buchanan describes intense rivalry among predators competing for food in the Serengeti. Cheetah cubs are at risk of being killed by lions and hyenas. They rely on their camouflage to protect them until they can develop speed to outrun danger. The cheetah cub and serval kittens play fight to learn self-defense skills. This video is excerpted from BBC's Animal Babies, a heartwarming show that follows the first breaths, first steps, and first feeds of some adorable baby animals, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest but most beautiful places on the planet.
Lesson Express
Q: Why is a large litter of cubs a challenge?
A: It is hard for the mother to provide them all with food and keep them safe from other predators.
Q: Why are other predators such a threat to the cheetah cubs?
A: The large number of predators means they are always in competition for food. Lions and hyenas will kill them to eat and to eliminate them as rivals.
Q: What adaptations helped the cheetah to survive?
A: Speed, camouflage, play fighting, and staying close to the mother, who keeps watch.