Listening to the soft purr of the motor, I gazed out across the vast Maasai Mara in pure astonishment as our old Land Cruiser rumbled across the savannah. This was my first time visiting this beautiful landscape and to say that I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. I’ve experienced some incredible, wildlife-rich ecosystems before, but this was on a whole different level!

Over the past couple of days we had seen countless herd animals like Zebras, Topi, Elephants, Gazelle, Impala and Elands. We’d seen Hyenas, Leopards, Lions, Jackals and so much more! All of these wildlife sightings were just amazing, but there was one animal that I enjoyed seeing more than all the others; Cheetahs!

We’d seen quite a few of these sleek, graceful cats over the last couple of days and I looked forward to each of the encounters we had with them. As we made our way down the rocky, dirt road, our guide soon pointed to something off in the distance and announced exactly what I was hoping to hear, “Cheetah!”

Within moments we had pulled up alongside the regal cat. A vibrant blue sky shone behind as the spotted feline made its way through the tall grass. I lowered my camera just slightly out of the vehicle to get on eye level, all the while keeping a close eye on the camera’s LCD screen to compose my image. The Cheetah turned its head slightly, looking off in the distance. CLICK. I smiled to myself as I sat back and watched this beautiful animal make its way across this breathtaking wilderness.