Become a Cheetah
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Hida lay on the grass, watching the two cheetah cubs climb all over Luo Qiao. Occasionally, they would grab Luo Qiao's head or tail, practicing their hunting moves.
The scene was filled with joy and harmony, making Hida twitch her ears with a hint of envy. Her scent was quite similar to Luo Qiao's, so the cubs didn’t feel too wary of her, but they also didn’t actively seek her out.
Fortunately, Hida didn’t mind. She was very friendly toward the two cubs and sometimes even played with them.
Under normal circumstances, cheetahs would never raise cubs that weren’t their own. Even between mother and child, once they reached adulthood, their relationship would become competitive. This was one of the reasons Luo Qiao had always been careful to avoid other big cats.
However, Hida’s situation was a bit different. After Shamu gave birth to Hida, she encountered three powerful primitive male cheetahs and was forced to bear their cubs.
At that time, Hida was less than ten months old. Shamu couldn’t drive Hida away for the sake of the newborn cubs, nor could she abandon the newborns for Hida, even though it placed a heavy burden on her.
So, until Hida was two years old, she helped her mother take care of her younger siblings. After that, she left Shamu’s territory and established her own nearby.
In single-parent cheetah families, this situation was rare but not entirely unheard of. Therefore, Hida was very tolerant of the two cubs Luo Qiao was raising. Perhaps it also had something to do with the fact that she had recently lost her own cubs.
“By the way, why are you raising them?”
Hida flicked her tail and playfully swatted at Luo Sen and Luo Rui, who were rolling around on the ground. “They’re not yours, are they?”
“They are my children.”
“Who are you trying to fool?” Hida looked at Luo Qiao and said, “You’re only three years old. How could you have fathered cubs?”
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Indeed, if all female cheetahs were like Hida, capable of making male cheetahs bleed from the nose, Luo Qiao’s dreams of finding a mate to cuddle and groom with would have to wait.
At least until he reached the level of Parson and Jairo, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Those brothers are five years old. Compared to them, you’re still too green. [inexperienced or young.]”
Hida mercilessly poked at Luo Qiao’s fragile ego, leaving him sitting dejectedly by the termite mound without a word.
A week ago, Parson and Jairo had followed Hida into the area where Luo Qiao and the two cubs lived. Although there wasn’t any major conflict between the cheetahs, the sight of two single male cheetahs, a female cheetah, and a male cheetah with two cubs was undeniably strange.
Parson had dragged Jairo away that same day, but both Hida and Luo Qiao knew the brothers hadn’t gone far. Perhaps Jairo hadn’t given up, or there might have been other reasons.
As long as they didn’t cross Luo Qiao’s bottom line or threaten the two cubs, Luo Qiao didn’t plan to interfere. After all, this area was on the edge of Parson and Jairo’s territory.
If you wanted to survive on someone else’s turf, you had to be tactful. Of course, if Luo Qiao decided to establish his own territory, that would be a different story.
Hida stayed for a while longer. The rainy season was coming to an end, and this area was near the Gansa River, a crucial path for the migration of wildebeests and other herbivores.
When large herds of wildebeests, zebras, and antelopes crossed the river, it was the perfect time to hunt. However, cheetahs had limited options, mostly targeting wildebeest calves and gazelles. Even zebra calves were rarely attempted.
At eight years old, Hida was experienced. She passed on all her knowledge to Luo Qiao, and the two cubs also benefited greatly.
“I can’t live with you forever, but I want to help you.”
Hida’s tone was tinged with sadness as she gathered the two cubs in her arms, as if mourning the loss of her own children. Raising cheetah cubs was incredibly difficult.
Unlike lions, who lived in groups, or leopards, who were skilled at climbing trees and hiding, cheetahs lived in the open savannah. Cubs had to follow their mothers across the grasslands when they were just seven or eight weeks old.
Hyenas, lions, jackals, and even eagles could kill the cubs. Survival was tough for young cheetahs, but those who grew up became the speed kings of the savannah.
Luo Qiao lay nearby, reminiscing about the past few months living with the cubs. He had faced lions, hyenas, and leopards, and even had to flee from baboons. This life was something he could never have imagined when he was human.
“Life on the savannah isn’t easy.”
He recalled the words of the Maasai guide when he first picked up a camera and followed a team into the vast grasslands. Now, Luo Qiao could only silently shed a tear of bitterness.
Indeed, life was hard.
The continuous high temperatures and lack of rain signaled the end of the rainy season and the arrival of the dry season.
The water level of the Gansa River began to drop, and large herds of wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles gathered from the grasslands. If viewed from above, it would look like a rushing flood of animals converging toward the river crossing. The scene was spectacular, a miracle only nature could create.
Hida and Luo Qiao parted ways a day ago. Although they were related, adult male and female cheetahs couldn’t live together for long. Luo Qiao was very grateful to Hida. Before she left, he caught an adult gazelle for her, calling it a farewell gift.
Hida looked at the prey Luo Qiao dragged before her, momentarily at a loss for words. Then, glancing at the two cubs sitting obediently beside Luo Qiao, even though they were drooling over the gazelle meat, they didn’t take a bite.
Hida suddenly felt the urge to facepaw. Had something happened to her mother after she left, causing her to raise such a strange cheetah?
In the end, Hida shared the gazelle with Luo Qiao and the cubs before they went their separate ways.
Hida began tracking the migrating wildebeest herd, planning to cross the Gansa River and move far away from Parson and Jairo’s territory. Luo Qiao, wary of the millions of wildebeest hooves, followed the herd from a distance, waiting for most of them to cross the river before making his move.
Luo Sen and Luo Rui were curious about everything. Their curiosity had repeatedly disrupted Luo Qiao’s hunts, allowing prey to escape. Luo Qiao didn’t scold them, but after going hungry for three days, the cubs learned to stay quiet and follow Luo Qiao’s every move during hunts, no longer causing trouble.
Luo Qiao sat on the termite mound, watching the wildebeest herd crossing the river in the distance. There were at least a hundred thousand wildebeests, and lions were already prowling the riverbank.
Luo Qiao didn’t plan to provoke them. His target was a group of topi antelopes with calves. These antelopes liked to stay in the tall grass, and as long as he was careful, catching a calf wouldn’t be a problem. As for the mother antelope, Luo Qiao was confident he could avoid her.
The two cubs waited obediently by the termite mound as Luo Qiao slowly approached the antelope group. Unbeknownst to him, Parson and Jairo were also eyeing the same group, though their target wasn’t the calves but the adults.
Luo Qiao crouched in the grass, fortunate enough to witness the entire hunt. He was left in awe, truly understanding the unparalleled speed and strength of evolved male cheetahs.
When Parson and Jairo were about a hundred meters away from the antelopes, they revealed themselves. Jairo charged at the herd, scattering them, while Parson selected his target.
The brothers’ movements seemed pre-planned. Jairo chased the antelope, separating her from the group.
Realizing she was in trouble, the antelope stopped running and lowered her head, threatening the cheetahs with her sharp horns. Jairo and Parson kept circling the antelope, distracting her.
When the antelope charged at Jairo, Parson suddenly sprinted forward at incredible speed, leaped into the air, transformed into human form, and landed on the antelope’s back. He grabbed her horns and bit down hard on her neck. The antelope reared up in pain, and Jairo seized the opportunity to jump and bite her throat, cutting off her air supply.
Together, the brothers brought the antelope down. She struggled repeatedly to stand but was pressed down each time. Finally, the antelope gave up, and her kicking hooves stilled. The entire process didn’t take long, but to Luo Qiao, every moment felt like a slow-motion replay.
Parson and Jairo were both breathing heavily. Jairo kept his teeth firmly sunk into the antelope's neck, while Parson held the antelope's head in place. He lifted his head, his handsome face covered in a bloodthirsty ferocity. A trickle of bright red blood ran down the corner of his mouth, only to be licked away by his tongue.
Luo Qiao had never seen himself hunting before. Watching the Parson brothers now was like looking into a mirror. He deeply realized one fact: he had truly become a wild beast, no different from the two evolved male cheetahs in front of him.
Coincidentally, the antelope caught by Parson and Jairo happened to be the mother of the calf Luo Qiao had been targeting. For Luo Qiao, this was an unexpected stroke of luck.
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