Two cheetah cubs created an optical illusion as they stared intently at their mother while she demonstrated how to hunt. The cubs appeared to merge as one due to their near-identical colouring and intense, pointed gaze toward their mother. The illusion occurred as they kept alert in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, during a pause in hunting.
The incredible picture was captured by 33-year-old childcare planner, Samantha van Dooren. She said: 'Due to cheetahs hunting during the day, I decided to stay and watch the cubs and their mother, to see what they might do. When mum sat up on alert, the two cubs copied her, allowing me to sit photographing them and to get this unique shot of the pair of them looking like they had merged into one animal while they looked in our direction. I love photographing cheetahs as they are such beautiful-looking big cats. I love the speed at which they move and how alert they are to any change in their surroundings.'
In another incredible wildlife photograph, a ground squirrel appears to give a gift to its sibling. The photo was taken in the grasslands of Lower Austria by wildlife photographer Perdita Peltz. Ground squirrels spend hours foraging for food to build up their fat reserves in order to survive the winter. While it may look like the creatures are taking the time to appreciate the spring bloom, they were in fact on the hunt for the tastiest flowers of the bunch. During hibernation, the squirrels use up around 90 per cent of their body fat reserves accumulated during the summer.
The 50-year-old photographer said the squirrels pictured were young siblings and are still likely sharing their food with one another. She managed to capture the rare moment the pair were seen sharing the bright flower in an endearing moment. She said: 'It took a while to get these photos, as this behaviour is not common to see and the squirrels are very elusive. My patience paid off though, as I got these really fun shots of the siblings sharing a dandelion together, something that makes me smile every time I see the images.'
