Queen of the Plains Nashipae meaning the happy one, the beautiful female Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), moves gracefully through the long, golden, oat-tipped grasses of the Mara. Her frame looks lean, the result of several fruitless days of hunting. A faint limp marks her stride, yet her eyes burn with determination. Then, fortune turns. With explosive speed and precision, she brings down a gazelle. Within minutes, she feeds, muscles relaxing, her belly rising with life once more. The transformatio