Why do cheetah unite in coalitions?
The cheetah, like most members of the cat family, is considered a solitary cat. However, my experience suggests something quite different: over many years of photographing these unique cats, I’ve rarely encountered them alone…
In the savanna, cheetahs can be found alone, in families formed by a mother and her cubs, or in groups called coalitions, which consist of adult males.
Females always lead a solitary lifestyle. During the short mating period, a female may be seen with a “suitor”, and later with her cubs. Sometimes the cubs stay with their mother for quite a long time (sometimes up to two years), and then some people mistakenly take such a family for a coalition that includes both females and males. But of course, this isn’t a coalition — it’s simply a mother and her offspring.
In rare cases, you might encounter a group of adult cheetahs of mixed sexes — but in such instances, it most likely involves young individuals that have recently left their mother. In any case, over time the females will leave their brothers to start an independent life. This behaviour allows cheetahs to avoid inbreeding.
Males often stay together in groups — coalitions. Sometimes an outsider male may join them, which is exactly what happened in the Maasai Mara National Park: a real gang of five cheetahs roams its territory, nicknamed “The Five Musketeers” by the locals.
Such coalitions offer significant hunting advantages: together, the animals are able to catch larger prey, and they can also defend themselves against enemies more effectively. Observations of cheetahs have confirmed that males living in coalitions are larger than solitary ones.
Beyond the benefits in hunting and defence, coalition males also have a higher chance of reproduction. The more males there are in a group, the larger the territory they control — and thus the more females live within their controlled area.
For cheetahs living in groups, the loss of a coalition member becomes a major challenge. Once I observed a male who had lost his brother. He behaved extremely restlessly, ate little, and barely slept.
Previously, they had operated as a group, which greatly eased each individual’s life: while one slept, the other stayed alert; together they chased large antelopes and defended their territory. Now the survivor has to adapt to new living conditions.
It’s remarkable that cheetahs remember their coalition mates or brothers for a very long time. They may search for and call out to a lost brother for a month — or sometimes even longer.
There is also a certain downside to coalitions: they face challenges with internal competition over females. Once I observed all five males trying to mate with a single female… Unfortunately, the cats didn’t succeed. The female waited for a long time for them to sort things out among themselves, but eventually left, leaving the clueless males “empty‑handed”.
Thus, it’s clear that cheetahs cannot be categorically classified as solitary animals. Perhaps forming coalitions is a way for the species to protect itself from extinction — especially since cheetah numbers continue to decline rapidly…
In the savanna, cheetahs can be found alone, in families formed by a mother and her cubs, or in groups called coalitions, which consist of adult males.
Females always lead a solitary lifestyle. During the short mating period, a female may be seen with a “suitor”, and later with her cubs. Sometimes the cubs stay with their mother for quite a long time (sometimes up to two years), and then some people mistakenly take such a family for a coalition that includes both females and males. But of course, this isn’t a coalition — it’s simply a mother and her offspring.
In rare cases, you might encounter a group of adult cheetahs of mixed sexes — but in such instances, it most likely involves young individuals that have recently left their mother. In any case, over time the females will leave their brothers to start an independent life. This behaviour allows cheetahs to avoid inbreeding.
Males often stay together in groups — coalitions. Sometimes an outsider male may join them, which is exactly what happened in the Maasai Mara National Park: a real gang of five cheetahs roams its territory, nicknamed “The Five Musketeers” by the locals.
Such coalitions offer significant hunting advantages: together, the animals are able to catch larger prey, and they can also defend themselves against enemies more effectively. Observations of cheetahs have confirmed that males living in coalitions are larger than solitary ones.
Beyond the benefits in hunting and defence, coalition males also have a higher chance of reproduction. The more males there are in a group, the larger the territory they control — and thus the more females live within their controlled area.
For cheetahs living in groups, the loss of a coalition member becomes a major challenge. Once I observed a male who had lost his brother. He behaved extremely restlessly, ate little, and barely slept.
Previously, they had operated as a group, which greatly eased each individual’s life: while one slept, the other stayed alert; together they chased large antelopes and defended their territory. Now the survivor has to adapt to new living conditions.
It’s remarkable that cheetahs remember their coalition mates or brothers for a very long time. They may search for and call out to a lost brother for a month — or sometimes even longer.
There is also a certain downside to coalitions: they face challenges with internal competition over females. Once I observed all five males trying to mate with a single female… Unfortunately, the cats didn’t succeed. The female waited for a long time for them to sort things out among themselves, but eventually left, leaving the clueless males “empty‑handed”.
Thus, it’s clear that cheetahs cannot be categorically classified as solitary animals. Perhaps forming coalitions is a way for the species to protect itself from extinction — especially since cheetah numbers continue to decline rapidly…
