A cheeky cheetah had a close encounter with a tourist on safari.
This is one moggy you don’t want to curl up in your lap with its razor-sharp claws and teeth.
The daring big cat leaped into the back of the vehicle as it went through the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya.
It moved slowly over to where Irish tourist Mickey McCaldin was sitting, and then it stopped just a foot away from his face.
The cheetah is seemingly ready to settle himself on Mickey’s knee during their encounter.
David, 62, from Mombasa, Kenya, said: “I’ve spent my whole life in Kenya, and I’ve never seen anything like this.
“The cheetah wasn’t afraid of getting up close and personal,” he said.
“At first, Mickey was quite calm, but I’m sure he was nervous it might try to hop in his lap.”
“Unlike a domestic cat, you certainly don’t want that.”
David captured the photographs after the group followed a well-known cheetah family known as Malaika, whose mother is named Malaika.
They had followed them for a few days before discovering that the family hadn’t eaten in a few days.
“The family had been seeking a gazelle for several days with no success. ”
“As we’d been about for a couple of days, I’m guessing they were used to the vehicle, so the mother climbed on top to get a better perspective.”
“I believe the other cheetah attempted to follow her but took a different route.
“It looked out of the vehicle for a few minutes once it had gotten bored with Mickey.”
“It just jumped out afterwards.”
Mickey was out on holiday with his wife and sister, who are friends of David and his wife, Vicky.
“We’ve lived in Kenya all of our lives, but we never feel the urge to leave. ”
“Where are you going on vacation?” is something I’ve been asked a lot. We always go to the game reserves.
“You never know what you’re going to come across – just like this.”
