Nat Geo: Cheetahs - Four Cubs' Journey to Adulthood

 

Sibling Squash

Photograph by Gus Mills

National Geographic Big Cats explorer Gus Mills is examining cheetahs in the arid environment of the Kalahari. The cheetahs are tracked using San trackers, radios, and DNA analyses. This data helps park managers ensure the continued existence of the cheetahs and future monitoring. It also serves as an example for the conservation of the species in other arid regions. With National Geographic's support, Mills was able to complete his fieldwork and research.

Pictured: A three-week-old cub squashes one of its two litter mates during a brief visit by Mills to the den while the mother was out hunting. Mills and his team need to count the cubs and collect DNA from fur samples in order to establish paternity. Such brief interactions do not disturb the cheetahs, and they have never observed any adverse reaction by the mother or cubs.

 

Daily Special

Photograph by Gus Mills

A mother cheetah feeds her four six-week-old cubs a springbok in what could be their first experience of meat. This mother was successful in raising all four male cubs to independence.

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NatGeo Photo Gallery: Polar Bears

 

Polar Bear Mother With Cub

Photograph by Norbert Rosing

Dutiful mothers, female polar bears usually give birth to twin cubs, which stay with her for more than two years until they can hunt and survive on their own.

 

Polar Bear Sleeps Soundly

Photograph by Flip Nicklin

A sleeping polar bear looks adorable, but beware! With no natural enemies, polar bears are at the top of the Arctic food chain. They are fearless, and will readily attack humans.

 

Polar Bear Cub Resting With Its Mother

Photograph by Flip Nicklin

In winter, female polar bears give birth to two cubs in an igloo-like den, which insulates the mother and babies against the brutal winds and frigid Arctic temperatures outside.

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NatGeo – Pictures We Love: Best of November

Polar Bear Plunge

Photograph by Mathieu Belanger, Reuters


A polar bear swims underwater in the Saint-Félicien Wildlife Zoo in Saint-Félicien, Quebec, in a picture distributed early last month. According to Environment Canada, Canada is home to around 15,000 of the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears in the world. The U.S., Russia, Denmark, and Norway are the other four countries or territories where polar bears can be found in the wild.


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