When a group of people was exploring the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, spotted a cheetah family gathering on the edge of a river.
The river was flooded, but the animals didn’t care. They just wanted to cross it — and they decided to go for it.
When the biggest cheetahs leaped into the water, the travelers immediately lost their breath. Everyone was excited to know whether the swimmers will make it to the other side.
Photographers Arnfinn Johansen and Buddhilini De Soyza decided to capture the moment and took out their cameras. Both of them managed to perfectly capture the drama that unfolded.
Photographer Arnfinn Johansen said he had been following the five cheetahs for a long time. “They hunt on both sides of the Talek River, [so it’s no wonder] they wanted to cross it.
Normally, they would cross the river by walking on stones but this year, it had been raining for a long time and because of the flooding, it was very difficult for them to do so,” Johansen explained to Bored Panda. “They were walking up and down the river for quite a while, searching for a place to get to the other side.
Because of the strong current, it was really dangerous. Also, that river is home to the Nile Crocodile for whom a cheetah can be an easy meal.”
Johansen also said that casualties were possible that day. “Not long ago, another well-known cheetah drowned or got killed by the crocs when it was crossing the same river so it was a big risk.
After surveying the area for a long time, the five cheetah brothers went for it.”
“First, the leader cheetah jumped into the river, and two more soon followed. The two smallest cheetahs in the group waited for a few seconds before they followed as well.”
Johansen said they all were swimming as fast as they could.
“You really could see they didn’t like it.” Luckily, they all succeeded in crossing the river and reached the other side alive. When the biggest cheetah shook his fur and his tail, he even hissed at the river.
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