Become a Cheetah
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After leaving Parson and Jairo, Luo Qiao returned to the territory of the Oros lion pride with his two cheetah cubs. The lion pride had been active near the border of their territory recently, which was good news for Luo Qiao and the cubs. At least, they could move in the opposite direction of the lions without worrying about encountering them along the way.
Occasionally, Luo Qiao would take the cubs to the riverbank to scout for prey. If they were lucky, they could catch small antelopes or warthogs coming to drink. Although the prey wasn’t large, it was enough to keep them fed for a day.
However, as the cubs grew older, their appetites also increased. In the past, a small warthog could feed the three of them for a while, but now it wasn’t even enough to fill the two cubs.
Luo Sen and Luo Rui were very understanding. They no longer clung to Luo Qiao as they used to, demanding that he hunt for them. Yet, Luo Qiao felt a pang of sadness as he watched his sons grow taller but not gain much weight.
Having such sensible children was also a worry. Raising two was already so difficult for him. He couldn’t imagine how mother cheetahs managed to raise five or six cubs.
Indeed, the ladies of the big cat world were truly formidable!
Gradually, the crocodiles and hippos seemed to have grown accustomed to the cheetah who occasionally wandered along the riverbank and caught small animals.
"Dad, are we going to the river today?"
Luo Rui lay beside Luo Qiao, nuzzling his chin. At their age, they still liked to act spoiled with their father, but their games and running speed already hinted at the future kings of the savannah.
"Not today."
In fact, Luo Qiao planned to avoid the Gansa River for a while.
Since the dry season began, not a drop of rain had fallen on the savannah, and the water level of the Gansa River had been steadily dropping.
In some sections, the riverbed was now visible. Crocodiles and hippos were fighting over living space, with large groups of hippos crowding into small areas of water, competing for the best spots. These irritable giants had no concept of sharing.
Chaos was inevitable.
The adult hippos pushed and trampled each other, and even the five- to six-meter-long crocodiles dared not approach the hippo groups at this time. After the commotion among the hippos subsided, a young hippo had tragically died, crushed by its companions.
The hippos hadn’t meant to harm the young one. They were simply venting their frustration instinctively, but the tragedy was unavoidable.
The body of the young hippo was pushed onto the riverbank. The mother hippo stayed by its side, while the crocodiles watched eagerly but didn’t dare approach. A grieving mother hippo could send them to their doom with a single bite.
The death of the young hippo was irreversible, and the grieving mother would eventually have to return to the water. When that happened, the young hippo’s body would become a feast for scavengers.
Luo Qiao and the two cubs witnessed this scene firsthand. The death of the young hippo wouldn’t bring them food—cheetahs don’t eat carrion—but they couldn’t stay there waiting for prey to come and drink. Lions, hyenas, and vultures would all be drawn to the young hippo’s body.
The father and his two cubs had to return empty-handed, going to sleep on empty stomachs.
Unable to wait for opportunities at the riverbank, Luo Qiao decided to take the cubs to the acacia forest to try their luck.
During the dry season, the acacia forest was one of the few places where some green grass remained. Herbivores that lived there year-round, such as hartebeests, often went to the acacia forest to find food. However, these animals were too large for Luo Qiao to hunt alone.
Luo Qiao could only hope that there would be young ones among them or injured individuals.
Of course, this was just wishful thinking. Unlike Parson and Jairo, Luo Qiao had no helpers. On his own, catching a healthy adult impala was already a struggle, let alone larger antelopes like hartebeests or wildebeests.
But he had no choice. He had to take the risk—either catch prey or starve.
Perhaps Luo Qiao’s prayers were answered. As the three cheetahs entered the acacia forest, they spotted a group of hartebeests grazing.
Luo Qiao and the two cubs hid in a patch of tall grass. Their spotted, light tan fur blended perfectly with the dry yellow grass.
The grazing antelopes hadn’t noticed them, but catching one was still an almost impossible task.
If he had agreed to live with Parson, perhaps he wouldn’t be struggling like this today. But the thought of mating made Luo Qiao immediately push the idea to the back of his mind.
"Dad..."
"Shh, don't make a sound."
Luo Qiao instructed the two cheetah cubs to lower their bodies and press themselves tightly against the ground.
Through the gaps in the grass, they observed the group of antelopes. When he noticed that there were three juvenile hartebeests among the group, he wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or worried.
Unlike other antelopes, hartebeests were unique. Female hartebeests were more aggressive than males, as evident from their courtship behavior, where females took the initiative. This made hunting hartebeest calves particularly challenging.
Unlike lions, a single cheetah was no match for an adult hartebeest, let alone a protective mother hartebeest.
However, no matter what, Luo Qiao had to try.
As the temperature rose, the hartebeests began to lie down and rest. This was a good opportunity for Luo Qiao.
"Stay here quietly. Don’t make a sound or move. Understand?"
"Dad, we can help."
Luo Qiao licked Luo Sen’s nose. "Good boy, you’re still too young. Just listen to me."
The cub lowered his head, and Luo Qiao licked his ear. Luo Rui, sensing his brother’s disappointment, moved closer.
"Brother, I also want to help Dad, but we’re still too small. We might cause trouble for him."
Luo Sen nodded, and the two cubs quietly lay in the grass, no longer making a sound.
Luo Qiao pressed his body close to the ground, crawling stealthily toward his target. Perhaps luck was on his side. A young hartebeest wandered away from its mother.
Luo Qiao observed the surroundings. If the calf moved just a little farther, he was confident he could avoid the other hartebeests, catch it quickly, and hide it in the tall grass.
The young hartebeest was oblivious to the danger. It gradually let its guard down, moving farther away from the herd. As it grazed, it unknowingly approached the cheetah hiding in the grass.
Finally, when the calf was less than twenty meters away, its instincts kicked in, and it turned to flee. But it was too late. Luo Qiao leaped from the grass, swiftly tripped the calf, and clamped his jaws around its neck. With lightning speed, he dragged the prey into the tall grass.
A cheetah’s teeth are small and cannot pierce through the neck of its prey. Instead, they bite the trachea to suffocate it.
The struggling sounds of the calf alerted the adult hartebeests, but they saw nothing except a patch of dry grass. By the time the calf’s cries ceased, many hartebeests still hadn’t realized what had just happened.
The mother hartebeest noticed her calf was missing. She charged into the grass, sniffing frantically for her offspring’s scent. However, the wind was in Luo Qiao’s favor. The mother hartebeest found nothing.
Luo Qiao kept his jaws locked on the calf’s neck, nervously watching the herd until the mother hartebeest gave up and left with the others. Only then did he relax slightly. He dragged the calf back to where the two cubs were hiding.
The young hartebeest was enough for the three of them to have a full meal. Luo Qiao let the cubs eat first while he stood guard, alert for any other predators that might appear.
After eating for a while, Luo Sen took over the watch, followed by Luo Rui. The three cheetahs took turns, ensuring everyone got a share and that Luo Qiao wouldn’t miss out if other predators showed up.
Although the three cheetahs ate voraciously, the arrival of hyenas forced them to abandon their prey. If it had been just one or two hyenas, Luo Qiao might have tried to drive them away. But this time, there were six. Luo Qiao had no choice but to give up.
Fortunately, the two cubs had eaten their fill, and Luo Qiao had managed to eat some as well.
The hyenas didn’t chase the departing cheetahs. Instead, they fought over the remains of the hartebeest. Vultures that arrived later had to wait their turn. However, one thing bothered Luo Qiao. These hyenas seemed different from the ones he had seen before. Even as they ate, there was an air of fear and tension about them.
The Oros lion pride had been enjoying good days recently. The lionesses didn’t need to hunt, giving them plenty of time to care for and nurture the cubs.
The playful cubs were thriving, with ample milk and meat ensuring the survival of the thirteen young lions. Though they weren’t as plump as during the rainy season, they were growing stronger day by day.
Oros had been relentless in his pursuit of hyenas. The hyena clan once ruled by Nabi had fragmented. Perhaps even before a new female leader could emerge, the clan would be wiped out.
The mighty lion marked the boundaries of his territory with his scent and footprints, declaring to all residents of the savannah that this was his domain.
His powerful roars could be heard kilometers away. The lionesses of the pride heard them, and though they might not have been fond of Oros’s personality or his wandering eye, they couldn’t deny that having such a lion defending their pride and territory was a blessing for the entire family.
Just as Oros was about to return to the pride, three young lionesses appeared on the other side of the territory. Their territory bordered that of the Oros pride. Their pride consisted of eight lionesses, two male lions, and seven cubs. They were the only pride in the area capable of rivaling the Oros pride.
If Tini and the other lionesses had encountered them, the only outcome would have been a fight. But with Oros as the one facing them, the situation was up for debate.
Oros stood still, watching the three lionesses. Perhaps they were just out hunting and happened to cross paths. If that were the case, Oros wouldn’t attack them, even if they were from a rival pride.
The lionesses stopped about two hundred meters away from Oros. One of them stepped forward and called out to him, "Hey, handsome!"
Hearing this sugary greeting, Oros’s eyes lit up instantly.
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