The cheetah is the world's fastest animal and just one of many big cats that call Africa home. While the big cats are extremely quick and cunning, they don't usually pose much of a threat to humans. However, it's no secret that they could do damage if they wanted to, so it's always best to give them a wide berth should you ever encounter one in the wild. In the following video, we see exactly how unnerving things can get if you don't use caution with these animals, as a female cheetah and her four cubs had no problem taking over a vehicle, despite it being filled with a guide and several tourists. The tourists can't do anything but just sit and watch as the big cats crawl all over the cab and eventually settle in on the roof for a lazy summer afternoon nap.
According to the video's description, this footage came from Maasai Mara, a large game reserve on the border between Kenya and Tanzania, adjacent to the well-known Serengeti National Park, sharing a natural grassland many of Africa's most famous creatures call home. Apparently back in 2015 when this was shot, it wasn't out of the ordinary to park and let cheetahs crawl on your vehicle, but the description mentions that park rangers no longer allow this for obvious reasons. As beautiful and as docile as these big cats may seem, it only takes a split second for them to feel startled and attack.
Additionally, this type of maneuver could contribute to animals losing some of their fear of humans, which could lead to trouble down the line. Similarly, rangers made tourists stop feeding bears in Yellowstone years ago after being common practice for so long. But as for this video, we're just happy to know that neither the tourists nor the animals were hurt in this nerve-wracking encounter.
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