A cheetah attacks. A herd of wildebeest scatter in every direction. Or do they?
Flight
SHOP THE LIMITED PRINT RELASE FOR TEN DAYS ONLY.
The anticipation was palpable.
The plains were still. The sky calm. A herd of wildebeest grazed peacefully as a slight breeze touched the air. A family of oxpeckers nestled onto the backs of their welcome hosts.
But observing the scene from afar, I could see the truth. A cheetah, leaving her three cubs behind, was stalking towards the herd — inch by inch, minute after minute.
Chaos was looming.
And then it was everywhere — the cheetah charged, moving from stealth to speed in an instant. The oxpeckers took flight, fleeing into the air, sending the wildebeest scattering in an apparent panic.
But as I watched, I realized the herd was doing something beautiful.
They were working together.
In a split second the wildebeest had silently charged into what I can only describe as a moving shield wall. In perfect unison, masked under the guise of pandemonium, the herd sprang into formation as they bucked and sprinted right and left, left and right.
Not a single wildebeest fled the scene. Instead, they overwhelmed the threat as a collective, using chaos as its ally.
And they won.
The cheetah, overcome with exhaustion, was forced to retreat. Returning to the bush where she would rest and recover. Disappointed, but ready to try again tomorrow.
