Why Don’t Wild Life Guides Shine The Spotlight On Cheetah At Night?
When on safari, rangers will spotlight nocturnal game so they can be viewed at night. Lion and Leopard are often viewed, even hunting. Why then don’t they shine on cheetah at night, even when they are obviously active and not bothered by the light? Is there a fundamental difference in the eys of these cats. I need a biological/anatomical answer.
This occurs on reserves where cheetah have been proved to hunt and move at night.
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because cheetahs are very vunerable and by placing them under a light it can attract other big cats, like lion leopard etc and they will attack and kill the cheetah. they can place it on a lion because a lion has no enemies and leopards are able to climb trees. cheetahs are diurnal to avoid these otjer larger cats. during the night they remain quite and elusive to avoid these other predators
Who says they don’t
After checking-in and freshening-up, the tour group meets for lunch at the central living area. During lunch, plans for the remainder of your adventure safari will be finalized. And your adventure begins . . .
The group meets at the lounge/dining area for tea before departing on an afternoon game viewing drive in an open, 4×4, safari vehicle. At sunset, you will be delighted by the magnificence of an African sunset, accompanied by sundowners. After dark the game viewing drive continues with the assistance of a powerful spotlight. The spotlight illuminates the eyes of animals that move under the cloak of darkness. Lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and jackal are just some of the many predators that hunt at night on Mashatu.
OK I have not seen every documentary, but rough guess. The Rangers should know when to shine the light for best effect. Lions and leopards when they have hunted or killed are less likely to be aggravated by the light. Also more likely to be stunned and give cameras a good photo. Cheetahs because are lighter and have a very fast internal systems they are easily alarmed. So would react by running away from the light or possibly be blinded by the light and start running while not able to see in the dark. That would lead to the cat being hurt. A cheetah actually will take longer to heal if hurt, and are not as solid as other cats and get hurt easier.