To finish the kill, the cheetah must then grab the winded animal's throat in its jaws and clamp the windpipe shut, suffocating the prey. Once it is dead, the cheetahs will start snacking on the animal's rear flanks, where the most nutritious meat is found. But some cubs can be slow learners, notes Person. Even though it is an instinctive behavior, they have to perfect it. Eventually, however, they learn to earn their meal.
Nature has a way of sifting out the less capable cubs.
Even successful hunters often face challenges once the hunt is over. Lions, hyenas, and other animals often try to steal the cheetah's freshly killed meal. The cheetahs are sometimes so exhausted from the chase, they can't prevent a thief from walking off with their kill.