National Geographic - USA (2022-01)

117

CHEETAHS AREN’T

THE BULLIES

OF THE FELINE

PLAYGROUND.

THEY PURR, NOT

ROAR. THEY AREN’T

DESIGNED TO

FIGHT HARD OR

DEFEND TERRITORY.

AND ALL THIS

CAN LEAVE THEM

VULNERABLE.”

—Nichole Sobecki,

photographer

Veterinarian

Michael Njoroge (at

left), with the Kenya

Wildlife Service,

examines a nearly

unconscious cheetah

that likely was injured

by another animal.

Cosmas Wambua (at

right), co-founder

of the conservation

group Action for Chee-

tahs in Kenya, and Ljalu

Lekalaile, a ranger,

prepare to assist. The

team spent three days

trying—unsuccessfully—

to save the cheetah.

Rangers had named

her Nichole, after

photographer Nichole

Sobecki, a National

Geographic Explorer

who documented the

cat’s plight. Fewer than

7,000 adult cheetahs

remain in the wild,

so conservationists

are going to great

lengths to help each

one survive.

Samburu National Reserve, Kenya PHOTOGRAPH BY NICHOLE SOBECKI