Half the morning goes by and nothing to show for it. A park ranger finally stops by to see what the problem is. After all we haven't moved for hours. Very rare on safari. Doug explains to the ranger that we plan to capture cheetah mating rituals on film, something seldom done. The bemused looking ranger then, in the most pleasantly polite manner typical of Africans, explains to Doug that we have been observing two brothers all this time, and cheetahs aren't really known for alternative lifestyles.

The guide mystique fades fast as we laugh and Doug sulks. "An honest mistake," says he. Then a surprise. One of the cheetahs suddenly bolts after and takes down a full grown wildebeest. Thirty yards from the jeep! It is over in seconds and only one of the "highly skilled" photographers in our group raises a camera in time to capture the takedown. You guessed it-Doug. Thus my good friend has the last laugh after all.

Cheetahs have lightweight bones necessary for the high-speed chase of fast-moving prey, usually antelope and gazelle. They seldom tackle prey as heavy and formidable as a wildebeest. The risk of bone injury is too great. The very pregnant uterus in the picture explains why an exception was made in this case. Pregnancy equals vulnerability.