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15th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Cheetah Boys Exploring Their New Home

These boys had been recent additions to the reserve. They had previously been kept in an exclosure called a boma to acclimate to their new setting and spent the days since their release exploring their boundaries and scent marking everything. This was the first time we had seen them outside of the boma and it was an incredible moment. The largest of the three brothers was moving ahead of the other two, chirping to them to let them know when the coast was clear.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2017
Date Uploaded: 11.2017
Photo Location: South Africa
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Copyright: © Lars Nelson