
This is the terrifying moment a wild cheetah approached a daring photographer in an African game reserve - before starting to lick his toes.

Kim Wolhuter, 57, was filming in Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana, when the inquisitive animal came in for a closer look.

He had been taking photos of a mother cheetah with her four cubs when the female cub decided to give his foot the once over.

Toe-curling: Pictures capture the terrifying moment a wild cheetah approached a daring photographer in an African game reserve - before starting to lick his feet

Lapping it up: The wild cheetah came in for a closer look (left) before licking and nibbling the daring photographer's right toes (right)

The big cat even had a nibble at one point, although Mr Wolhuter walked away from the encounter with all of his toes intact.

The incident was the culmination of six weeks spent filming the wild cats, during which Mr Wolhuter steadily built trust with the mother and her offspring.

He said: 'The mum and her cubs were close by and I had spent some time filming them. The female cub was a lot more curious than her brothers, so approached me as I was lying on the ground taking shots.

Kim Wolhuter, 57, was filming in Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana, when the inquisitive animal came in for a closer look

The big cat even had a nibble at one point, although Mr Wolhuter walked away from the encounter with all of his toes intact

The incident was the culmination of six weeks spent filming the wild cats, during which Mr Wolhuter steadily built trust with the mother and her offspring

'When she got really close to me and near to my foot, I thought she was going to swat it, but instead she had a lick and a nibble.

'It hurt slightly, so I pulled my foot away, but she seemed to know to nibble gently. After all, a good bite would have gotten a very bad reaction from me.

'She seemed to be testing me like a domestic cat would do with its owner. At no stage was I concerned, there was nothing threatening in her behaviour.

'She was curious and trusting, so it was important that I conveyed the same feelings and be as confident as possible in what I was doing.'

Mr Wolhuter said the animal gave his toe a 'lick and a nibble' and that he had to pull his foot away because 'ot hurt slightly'