Cheetahs of the Serengeti Plains: behaviour and ecology

This long-term field study produced one of the most complete accounts of cheetah behavioural ecology, covering hunting, social organisation, male coalitions, maternal care, and cub mortality. Among its central findings are the high-speed pursuit hunting style, the formation of cooperative coalitions among related and unrelated males that defend territories, the solitary ranging of females, and the heavy toll that lions and other predators take on cheetah cubs. The work also analysed the development of predatory skills in cubs through play and maternal tuition. It remains an authoritative reference on how a specialised solitary felid balances speed, sociality, and reproduction.