Three Deadly Cheetah's Knocked An Antelope Down, But Instead Of Devouring It They Played Together

From Fuzzfix.com

1.  For most antelopes, a play date with three deadly cheetahs is best avoided.

But unfortunately for this impala, there was no a choice in the matter.

2. Remarkably, it appeared these frivolous cheetahs had more of an appetite for play than food.

Going against their natural killer instincts, the cheetahs pawed at the baby impala like a child’s play thing.

3. Lured into a sense of security, the impala appears to nuzzled on of the cheetahs, which reciprocates with an equally adorable display of affection.

4. Despite the rarity of this behaviour, there is a logical explanation as to why the cheetahs chose to show uncharacteristic restraint and compassion.

5. Because cheetahs – the fastest land-animal on the planet – hunt once a day in the morning or afternoon; when not on a hunt, they conserve their energy and therefore only kill when they’re hungry.

6. Ultimately, this instinct to only kill when necessary – and the likelihood that the cheetahs were already full and tired out from a previous hunt – was the key to the antelope’s survival .

Photographer Michel Denis-Huot, who said he was astonished by what he saw, caught the encounter on camera.

“They knocked it down, but then they lost interest,” said Michel. “For more than 15 minutes, they remained with the young antelope without doing anything other than licking it or putting their paws on the impala’s head.”

7. At one tense moment, it did look as though one of the cheetahs would bite the impala on the neck.

However, the youngster managed to flee from the trio, ending their time together on a happy note.