Speed and stealth

The cheetah is the fastest runner on the planet but in this situation speed is no good without stealth - he must use camouflage to creep up on his target. With only the grass as cover he can’t get close enough for a sprint, and as the hartebeest is one of Africa’s fastest antelopes, from this distance he has no chance in a straight race. But it might still be worth a go, because if one hartebeest is old or injured the cheetah might stand a chance. Unfortunately for him, they’re all fit and well. A full sprint under the hot sun is hard work for a cheetah, so he'll need time to recover before he can try again.