Become a Cheetah
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Luo Qiao successfully captured the motherless cub of the horned antelope. As he carried the calf away, he couldn’t help but glance back into the distance. Parson and Jairo were feasting on the adult topi, seemingly unaware of him.
Relieved, Luo Qiao quietly slipped away under the cover of the tall grass.
Parson raised his head, watching the long grass swaying in the wind, slowly licking the blood from his lips. Jairo, meanwhile, tore chunks of meat from the topi’s bones, muttering indistinctly.
“We helped him, and he didn’t even say thanks…”
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The dry season had arrived, and the scorching sun baked the earth. Some sections of the Gansa River had already dried up, exposing cracked riverbeds. The grassland was now covered in withered yellow grass and swirling dust. Compared to the lush greenery of the rainy season, the savannah now seemed devoid of life.
At noon, the heat was almost unbearable, evaporating the last traces of moisture from the air. The high temperatures even distorted the view.
Luo Qiao and the two cubs lay under the shade of a tree. The heat made all of them uncomfortable. The usually lively cubs didn’t even want to move.
But Luo Qiao couldn’t wait any longer, he needed to hunt. It had been seven days since Luo Qiao last caught a large prey. During this time, he could only catch small animals like hares and warthogs to feed himself and the cubs.
As time went on, even these small prey became scarce.
The arrival of the dry season left the savannah eerily empty. The once-abundant wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles had almost disappeared. Although some herbivores like buffalo still roamed the grasslands, their massive size and sharp horns made them too dangerous for Luo Qiao to consider hunting.
Even adult male wildebeests were difficult for cheetahs to handle. Attempting to take down a buffalo would be suicidal.
With prey so scarce, the lion prides grew increasingly aggressive. Just a day ago, Luo Qiao and the cubs had witnessed four lionesses brutally killing a young male hyena. The lions tore at the hyena’s neck and limbs, nearly ripping it apart.
Luo Qiao recognized two of the lionesses: Rosa and Shana. These were the same lions who had once injured him.
Fortunately, lions rarely paid attention to wind direction. Luo Qiao kept the cubs hidden downwind in the bushes until the lions left.
“Dad, that was scary.”
Luo Rui pressed close to Luo Qiao as the trio passed the hyena’s corpse. Both Luo Sen and Luo Rui couldn’t stop trembling.
Luo Qiao also found the scene brutal, but it was an important lesson the cubs needed to learn.
“Don’t be afraid. Remember, if you ever encounter lions, try to hide or stay still. As long as the lions don’t see or smell you, you’ll be safe.”
Luo Qiao patiently taught the cubs, doing everything he could to raise them. The fate of Hida’s cubs served as a stark reminder—danger could strike at any moment. Carelessness could cost them their lives.
To avoid encounters with lions and hyenas, Luo Qiao chose to hunt during the hottest part of the day. This was typical behavior for most cheetahs.
At this time, lions and hyenas would be resting in the shade. The only competitors Luo Qiao might face were wild dogs, daytime hunters like cheetahs. These predators, with their large ears and slender limbs, were pack animals with sharp teeth and incredible stamina. Unlike cheetahs, prey rarely escaped once wild dogs targeted them.
However, wild dogs didn’t stay in one place for long. Like wildebeests, they were nomads of the savannah. This set them apart from hyenas, which were relentlessly hunted and driven out by lions in Oros’s territory. Wild dogs, however, managed to avoid this fate. Still, they remained cautious, avoiding direct confrontations with lions and relocating at the first sign of danger.
As the dry season progressed, wild dog packs gradually left the area. Luo Qiao only occasionally encountered them, and even then, they preferred the cooler hours of dawn or dusk. The chances of running into them at noon were slim.
After scanning the surroundings to ensure it was safe, Luo Qiao instructed the cubs to stay under the tree shade and not wander off.
“Dad’s going to find food for you.”
“Dad, aren’t you taking us with you?”
“It’s too hot for you to go out now. Be good.”
Luo Sen and Luo Rui obediently nuzzled Luo Qiao. The cubs had been eating very little lately, and it showed in their thinning frames. If their food intake fell below their daily energy needs, they would starve to death in just five or six days.
Luo Qiao refused to let that happen. Today, he ventured farther than usual, almost reaching the edge of the Oros lion pride’s territory. Across the dry riverbed was another lion pride’s territory, ruled by two powerful male lions. Though they were primitive species, their strength was not to be underestimated.
Carefully following scent markers and tracks along the territory border, Luo Qiao tracked a herd of antelopes. His persistence paid off when he finally spotted two female impalas that had strayed from the group.
Luo Qiao silently crouched in the grass, his fur blending perfectly with the dry yellow blades. As long as he remained still, the impalas wouldn’t notice him.
When the two impalas unknowingly entered his striking range, Luo Qiao burst forward like lightning. In an instant, he closed the distance, a blur streaking across the grass. He focused on one impala, chasing her relentlessly and pouncing on her within less than three hundred meters.
The hunt was a success. Luo Qiao clamped his jaws around the impala’s neck. For the impala, this torment would last ten to twenty minutes, giving Luo Qiao time to catch his breath. The sprint had raised his body temperature rapidly, and the intense heat made it even more uncomfortable.
Finally, the impala stopped breathing, and Luo Qiao could move freely again.
Looking around, all he saw were dry yellow grass and waves of heat. No other predators were in sight. However, he was now too far from the two cubs.
Dragging the impala, which was heavier than himself, for several kilometers with just his teeth would be unwise. Luo Qiao decided to hide the impala in a secluded spot and wait for the cubs to come to him after hearing his call.
Fortunately, Luo Sen and Luo Rui had secretly followed him shortly after he left. Their disobedience gave Luo Qiao a headache, but it also saved him some trouble.
Before he could scold the cubs, vultures began circling overhead.
"These annoying creatures!"
Even the usually gentle Luo Rui started to complain. Luo Qiao licked the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Ignore them. Eat quickly."
A female impala was enough to fill the stomachs of the three of them. With food so scarce, every piece of meat had to be cherished. Although Luo Qiao and the cubs devoured the meat ravenously, within twenty minutes, more than forty vultures had gathered around.
This time, Luo Sen didn’t bother chasing them away. The little one kept his head down, focused on eating. Luo Qiao had already taught him and Luo Rui that while vultures were freeloaders, they were still birds of prey.
Unless necessary, it was better not to provoke them. As for the one whose neck Luo Qiao had snapped, it was just bad luck—he had crossed paths with a desperate Luo Qiao. Even rabbits bite when cornered, let alone cheetahs.
Once Luo Qiao and the cubs were full, there was still plenty of impala meat left. The vultures immediately swarmed it. But in the dry season, when food was scarce, no one could eat in peace. A lioness suddenly appeared, charging toward the vultures and the impala carcass.
The vultures scattered into the air, landing not far away. The lioness picked up the remaining impala and walked off. Compared to the lionesses Luo Qiao had seen before, this one looked thinner, her coat lacking its usual shine. She likely wasn’t a member of the Oros pride but an intruder.
Still, what did that have to do with Luo Qiao?
This was already the border between two lion prides. Even if this lioness had crossed the boundary, it was none of Luo Qiao’s concern.
Luo Qiao led the well-fed cubs to a nearly dried-up pond. It was a tributary of the Gansa River that dried up every dry season. The water in the pond was now muddy and murky. Luo Qiao refused to let his children drink such water.
"Dad?"
Luo Sen looked at Luo Qiao, puzzled, as his father transformed into human form and began working. Luo Qiao created a simple water filtration system using stones and leaves. He dug deeper into the pond, allowing more water to seep through.
After filtering the water, he gave it to the cubs. While there was no boiling or sterilization, something animals wouldn’t care about—at least it wasn’t muddy water. Luo Qiao felt somewhat reassured.
With their bellies full, the three cheetahs now needed to find a place to rest. The impala they had eaten would keep them fed for today and tomorrow.
Not long after Luo Qiao left, the leopard Monty arrived at the spot where Luo Qiao and the cubs had drunk water. Seeing the discarded stones and leaves, Monty pawed at them for a while before losing interest.
The heat was unbearable, and Monty decided to return to the fig tree to rest. His stored food was gone, and he needed to hunt tonight.
Meanwhile, the Oros pride had moved away from the center of their territory. With prey so scarce, they had to expand their search range. As the number of successful hunts dwindled, some of the cubs in the pride were showing signs of malnutrition. After the first cub died, the lionesses made a decision, they would hunt buffalo.
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