Spectacular Killing Of Cheetahs Or A Surprise Meal Of Hyenas?

This stunning series of pH๏τographs shows the moment two cheetahs used teamwork to hunt down and kill a wildebeest in Tanzania.

However the cats were deprived of their meal by some hungry hyenas who moved in to claim the prize which they feasted on with their young.

The one of the cheetahs breaks from cover to chase down the wildebeest using its natural acceleration which is faster than a Sports car. As it is abandoned by the rest of its herd the first cat locks its jaws around the neck of the animal, and the second cheetah pounces.

Both of the predators use their powerful limbs to lock into the wildebeest’s flesh and bring the large to a halt within moments. As its eye bulge with fear the wildebeest knows it has no way to escape the two cats as they claw at its back and sides.

The cheetahs muscular limbs, long tail and flexible spine allow it to quickly twist and turn as the prey struggles to escape from its claws. As the tussle continues one of the cats manages to swap its position and dig its teeth into the prey’s windpipe, slowly choking it.

The predator displays the sheer power of its jaws as it hangs from the wildebeest’s throat by just its teeth. The wildebeest alone weighs more than the two cats combined so the predators must still be careful as one sharp movement could easily break a bone.

As the bloodied beast begins to give up two hyena youngsters appear in the background of the picture before the arrival of their parents. After the hyenas vanish the cheetahs get on with bringing their kill to the floor where they can easily finish it off.

The large wildebeest is an essential part of the African food chain, providing food for lions, cheetahs, wild dogs and hyenas.

In a fair fight the cheetahs would have no chance against a wildebeest which could use it size and horns to injure them, and instead rely on surprise

The hyenas pups return as one cheetahs pulls the head of the wildebeest down so the other can finish the kill off. But after all their efforts have been exhausted and the struggling wildebeest has been killed, three larger hyenas move in to steal the carcᴀss.