It was late in the afternoon and this cheetah had found a nice resting spot for the evening. Unlike most other predatory cats which tend to be creatures of the night, cheetahs are mostly diurnal and hunt during the day. They rely more on sight than their other senses and prefer the morning and afternoon hours when the sun is still in the sky. I photographed this one in the Linyanti concession of northern Botswana. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second.
This is stunning: the golden color palette of the late day is gorgeous, and finding a cheetah is such repose is beautiful.. Love how his body fades into the brush, and the tail appears as a tease.
That tail tells the tale. It requires a double take, as a first quick glance may give the casual observer the wrong impression that a small critter is on the left. After connecting the dots, the once casual observer gets a truer reading on the length of the kitty from tip of nose to tip of tail. The lighting is not bad either!
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It was late in the afternoon and this cheetah had found a nice resting spot for the evening. Unlike most other predatory cats which tend to be creatures of the night, cheetahs are mostly diurnal and hunt during the day. They rely more on sight than their other senses and prefer the morning and afternoon hours when the sun is still in the sky. I photographed this one in the Linyanti concession of northern Botswana. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/320th of a second.
Where are its legs? Aren’t cheetahs supposed to have legs?
This is stunning: the golden color palette of the late day is gorgeous, and finding a cheetah is such repose is beautiful.. Love how his body fades into the brush, and the tail appears as a tease.
Thanks Laura. Always nice to come across a cheetah.
Love all the golden hues in this one … and the tip of the tail lifted up out of the grasses.
Ha, thanks Karen. Yes, that tail tip made it for me.
That tail tells the tale. It requires a double take, as a first quick glance may give the casual observer the wrong impression that a small critter is on the left. After connecting the dots, the once casual observer gets a truer reading on the length of the kitty from tip of nose to tip of tail. The lighting is not bad either!