Become a Cheetah
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The rocky hill at the center of Luo Qiao’s territory was an excellent place to live. The natural caves provided a hidden and comfortable shelter for the cheetahs.
Of course, the previous residents, the hyraxes, had been mercilessly driven out by the cheetahs. Those who stubbornly refused to leave had long since become dinner for the cheetahs.
Although Luo Qiao was often bullied by other big cats, he could still bully the hyraxes! As for this, Luo Qiao wasn’t sure whether to feel proud or to curl up in a corner and curse himself for being so useless.
Luo Qiao had spread a layer of soft dry grass in the cave where Gamma was recovering. It not only made lying down more comfortable but also helped mask the cheetahs’ natural scent.
Generally, cheetahs would frequently change their dwellings, especially mother cheetahs with cubs. Luo Qiao had done this often before, but after teaming up with Gamma, such frequent moves were clearly impractical, as it wasn’t conducive to Gamma’s recovery.
“There’s always a way.”
Luo Qiao didn’t like to force himself or indulge in heroism, but abandoning Gamma and Tata for his own safety wasn’t something he would do.
Fortunately, the special dry grass had been a great help to Luo Qiao. Since they had a hidden, hard-to-find shelter, who would want to move around all the time?
As they spent more time together, Luo Qiao and Gamma gradually lowered their guard around each other. The most obvious proof was that Tata was allowed to spend long periods with Luo Sen and Luo Rui, though she still couldn’t leave Gamma’s sight.
Compared to the somewhat careless Luo Qiao, Gamma was much more attentive when it came to caring for her cubs. Occasionally, when Luo Qiao did something wrong, she would point it out.
During Gamma’s recovery, Luo Qiao took charge of hunting for the cheetahs. He always did his best to fill their stomachs. To avoid encountering other predators, he mostly stopped hunting near the watering hole and stayed within his territory.
However, prey was scarce during the dry season, and the cheetahs often went hungry. Occasionally catching a gazelle or a larger warthog was enough to make the three cubs happy.
Gamma’s injuries improved day by day. Many cheetahs died from injuries, not because they were unhealthy or didn’t recover well, but because injured cheetahs couldn’t catch prey and simply starved to death.
Without Luo Qiao’s help, Gamma and Tata would never have survived this dry season, they might not have even lasted a week.
The temperature difference between day and night on the savannah was significant, but the cave with its dry grass bedding kept the cheetahs comfortable. In the past, Luo Qiao could only huddle close to his two cubs for warmth. Now, they could stretch out lazily on the dry grass and even roll around.
“Dad, I want to eat warthog.”
Luo Rui leaned against Luo Qiao, rubbing his chin. Although he was no longer a small, fluffy ball, he was still very close to Luo Qiao. Occasionally, he would make playful, spoiled requests, and Luo Qiao never refused him.
Luo Sen, on the other hand, acted more like an older brother, especially after Tata started playing with them. From the way the three cubs played and interacted, it was clear that Luo Sen would grow up to be the leader of the group, without a doubt.
Luo Qiao narrowed his eyes, his ears tilting back as he nuzzled Luo Rui. The father and son rubbed against each other while grooming one another.
“You want to eat warthog? Okay, Dad will go catch one for you!”
Pink bubbles seemed to float around the intimate father-son pair. Luo Sen couldn’t help but join in, and the three of them once again put on their daily morning family bonding show, much to Gamma’s disapproval.
“Ahhh!” Too spoiled!
Luo Qiao pretended not to hear. This lady hadn’t even seen what real spoiling looked like. If she ever met parents who would pluck stars from the sky for their kids, she’d probably bristle all over.
However, Luo Qiao didn’t actually spoil Luo Sen and Luo Rui. He made sure to teach them everything they needed to know. Despite the scarcity of prey, he still tried to bring back live prey for the cubs to practice hunting. Tata, who was only a month younger than Luo Sen and Luo Rui, also benefited greatly from this.
“Ahhh!”
“Alright, I get it. No more spoiling. Strict teaching from now on!”
Luo Qiao licked the back of Luo Rui’s neck and couldn’t help but sigh. Mother cheetahs were definitely old-school when it came to raising their young. Gamma’s idea of strictness was simply one word: spank!
He had seen Tata get her bottom spanked by Gamma more than once. Sure, kids needed discipline, but Luo Qiao really wanted to discuss the historical issue of corporal punishment with Gamma. Wouldn’t spanking just make the kids more rebellious?
“Ahhhh!”
Gamma didn’t understand anything about corporal punishment or rebelliousness. She simply raised her cubs the way her mother had raised her, disobey and get spanked! If they still didn’t listen, keep spanking! Spank endlessly until they obeyed!
Fortunately, Tata was only occasionally mischievous, and Gamma’s claws were raised high but landed gently. Still, whenever Gamma spanked Tata’s bottom, Luo Qiao would solemnly tell Luo Sen and Luo Rui, “See? Dad treats you well, right?”
The two cubs nodded seriously, then discussed with Tata,
“Mom always spanks our bottoms! Dad’s way is better!”
Tata licked her little paw and shook her head. “Mom is good. It’s my fault for being naughty.”
Luo Qiao wanted to hug all three cubs and nuzzle them, but he didn’t dare reach out to Tata. Gamma would swat him away in an instant.
Such well-behaved and easy-to-raise kids! He wouldn’t mind having a whole football team of them!
…Well, he was just thinking. He definitely couldn’t afford that many. He wasn’t a lion, after all.
As the morning temperature rose, Luo Qiao took the two cubs out to hunt. Gamma’s injuries weren’t fully healed yet, so she and Tata followed behind Luo Qiao.
Luo Qiao stood on a rock, surveying his entire territory.
The land was covered in dry grass, and where the grass didn’t reach, the hot wind kicked up dust from the ground. In the distance, sand mist rose from the valleys as guinea fowl searched for roots and seeds buried beneath the sand.
After just one glance, Luo Qiao looked away. That was a leopard’s territory, and he would never set foot there lightly.
The sun climbed higher, and Luo Qiao remained motionless on the rock. Luo Sen and Luo Rui also stayed quiet, not disturbing him. The two cubs had fully adapted to Luo Qiao’s hunting patterns and had started imitating him.
Unlike other cheetahs, Luo Qiao didn’t rely solely on strength and speed when hunting. He placed more emphasis on planning and judgment before the hunt.
Perhaps it was because he was still young. If he had Parson and Jairo’s strength and size, he might act more decisively.
Finally, Luo Qiao saw what he had been waiting for. A group of warthogs emerged from the burrow where they had slept the night before.
Luo Qiao had already pinpointed the general location of this warthog group but hadn’t found their burrow until now. Warthog burrows were often complex, with multiple exits.
They might enter through one hole and exit through another. Only their sleeping burrows had a single entrance, which was why Luo Qiao had patiently waited here. Next time, finding this warthog group would be much easier. He might even set a trap while they slept.
Luo Qiao climbed down from the rock, and the two cubs followed closely behind. They tried to mimic Luo Qiao’s every move, how to move through the tall grass, how to keep an eye on the prey without being noticed, and how to judge the right moment to attack.
This was how young cheetahs learned the skills they would need for hunting and survival in the future. To ensure they mastered the rhythm, Luo Qiao never slacked off during any hunt.
This wasn’t just about teaching the cubs; it was about their family’s survival. If he failed four hunts in a row, he would exhaust all his energy, and the only thing waiting for them would be starvation.
Gamma let Tata follow along. She couldn’t run at high speeds now, but watching Luo Qiao hunt was a great learning opportunity for Tata.
After a night’s rest, the warthogs were already hungry. The dry season meant there wasn’t enough fresh grass for herbivores like zebras and antelopes, but it didn’t affect the warthogs much. Their large tusks helped them dig up plant roots buried underground.
They were permanent residents of the savannah and occasionally played the role of opportunists. If given the chance, they would even try eating the carcasses of dead animals.
This was hard to believe, but it was an undeniable fact.
Luo Qiao quietly approached the warthog family. Leading the group was a strong adult female warthog, a young warthog, and eight small warthogs. Luo Qiao carefully selected his target and finally fixed his gaze on one of the small warthogs.
Every step Luo Qiao took was cautious, constantly monitoring the wind direction. If the wind changed or the warthogs became alert, he would immediately stop.
Finally, when he was less than thirty meters from his target, Luo Qiao launched his attack. The mother warthog and the others scattered in all directions.
Luo Qiao chased closely behind the small warthog and tripped it within ten seconds. Just as he was about to end the small warthog’s life, a young warthog suddenly charged at him.
This young warthog was the adult female’s recently matured daughter, and the small warthog Luo Qiao was chasing was her child. It wasn’t uncommon for warthog mothers and daughters to raise their young together, forming a family unit.
Luo Qiao made a quick decision. He released the small warthog and immediately turned to pounce on the young mother warthog. Gamma also rushed in to help him. Although Gamma couldn’t run, she had no problem helping Luo Qiao subdue the young warthog.
If it had been the other adult female warthog charging at them, Luo Qiao wouldn’t have dared to do this, and neither would Gamma. They were here to hunt, not to die.
The other warthogs had already run far away. Luo Qiao bit down hard on the warthog’s neck, while Gamma pinned its body down. The small warthog that had been knocked over earlier took the chance to escape but was intercepted by the three cheetah cubs hiding in the tall grass.
The cubs instinctively chased it, swiping at it with their paws and trying to trip it. However, the small warthog was unusually resilient and stayed ahead of the three cubs. The warthog whose neck was being bitten continued to struggle.
Neither Luo Qiao nor Gamma could let go of their prey to help the cubs, so they could only watch as the cubs chased the small warthog. Just as they were about to catch it, the small warthog dove into a burrow and disappeared.
Luo Sen and Luo Rui looked down, then up at Luo Qiao.
“Dad, it’s gone.”
Luo Qiao was panting heavily and nearly choked when he heard the cubs’ words. What did they mean, “Dad’s gone”? The prey was gone!
Tata curled her tail sheepishly. Gamma released the warthog and called out to Tata a couple of times. She was fairly satisfied with her son’s performance.
Although the small warthog had escaped, they still had the other warthog. At least they wouldn’t go hungry today.
The dead warthog was dragged into a bush. Luo Qiao and Gamma took turns keeping watch for other predators while the three cubs buried their heads in the feast.
For the cubs, with Luo Qiao and Gamma around, all they needed to do was focus on eating.
Just as the five cheetahs were devouring their meal, a group of baboons suddenly entered Luo Qiao’s territory. This wasn’t their usual foraging spot; they were just heading to the watering hole in the leopard’s territory.
The male baboon’s roar startled the three cubs. Luo Qiao and Gamma both straightened up, their ears pricked.
“Baboons!”
A troop of baboons was an absolute disaster for cheetahs with cubs!
The three cubs immediately left the prey and hid deeper in the bushes. Luo Qiao told Gamma to hide as well, but she stubbornly stayed put.
It wasn’t just Luo Qiao who wanted to protect the cubs.
The baboons gradually approached. Leading the group were several large, strong male baboons. They saw Luo Qiao and Gamma, as well as the dead warthog.
The baboons stopped. Male baboons occasionally caught small antelopes or warthog cubs but rarely hunted adult warthogs. They would kill cheetah cubs, and adult cheetahs usually avoided baboons. These two cheetahs puzzled the baboons.
Luo Qiao and Gamma were both tense. Behind them, in the bushes, were three cheetah cubs. If the baboons caught them, the cubs would most likely be torn apart and eaten alive.
The baboons continued to arrive. This was a large family of over fifty baboons. They foraged and lived together. If it weren’t for the drying up of their usual water source, they wouldn’t have appeared in Luo Qiao’s territory.
The baboons and the two cheetahs faced off for a while. The baboons didn’t seem very interested in the cheetahs or their prey. Finally, the male baboon let out a loud call, and the troop gradually moved on.
Luo Qiao and Gamma both breathed a sigh of relief. If the baboons had come any closer, they would have rushed forward to physically separate the baboons from the cubs, giving the cubs a chance to escape.
Once the baboons were far enough away, Luo Qiao called the cubs out of the bushes, and they continued their meal.
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Baboons [Source; pinterest]
So scary I saw baboons eating live prey crying .it's tragic to watch (animal planet channel)
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