The cheetah pack stood on the banks of the river, searching for where to cross. 

In the shallows they could be snatched by crocodiles. But leap into the rapids, and they risked being dragged to death. 

Lead cheetah OlpadanOlpadan means "sharp shooter" in Maa, the language spoken by the Maasai people in Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania.  jumped in. The others followed.

This time, Olpadan was lucky. All five of the all-maleIt is rare for male cheetahs to form large social groups. The group is made up of two sets of siblings.  Tano BoraTano Bora means magnificent five. The group is now known as Nne Bora, or magnificent four.  cheetah pack made it. 

But now Olpadan's luck has run out. His body was found on the great plains of Kenya's Maasai Mara. His former friends were seen running from the carcass with blood on their paws. Today, the "magnificent five" is the "magnificent four". 

There is no doubt: the pack is worthy of its name. Cheetahs are extraordinary creatures. One life coach says humans should take lessons from the big cat. 

Here are Jenn Bauer's four tips on how to live like a cheetah: 

1. Rest before you sprint. Cheetahs are the world's fastest land animal, reaching 70mph. But cheetahs are sprintersCheetahs can accelerate from 0mph to 68mph in just three seconds. , not marathon runners. They run for a minute at a time before recharging. Humans are only productive for short periods of time. We must take regular breaks to achieve our goals. 

2. Be willing to change direction. Cheetahs are the only big cat that can turn mid-stride. They adjust to their prey. If we do not adapt to new information, we risk missing our targets.

3. Repurpose rather than discard. Cheetahs are resourceful. As the smallest big African cat, they spend hours looking for prey and predators. They use abandoned termite mounds as observation posts. New perspectives can avoid unnecessary waste.

4. Outwit the competition. If cheetahs hunted at night, they would lose their meals to lions and leopards. Instead, they hunt during the day. We should find our niche, and try out ideas no one else is exploring. 

Of course, not everyone agrees with Bauer's lessons. Great thinkers maintain that humans are different from animals. 

The philosopher Ludwig WittgensteinAn Austrian-British philosopher and mathematician most famous for his work on language. Some consider him the greatest philosopher of the 20th Century. declared: "If a lion could speak, we could not understand him."

Cheetahs spend their time chasing antelopes. Humans use complex language, build cities, work in offices and buy food from supermarkets. 

For Bauer, these differences do not matter. She believes if we open our minds to a new perspective, perhaps we could find a new way of living. 

Yes: Cheetahs are incredible creatures. They use their nimble brains and agile bodies to survive in the harsh savannah. Everybody can learn from the resourcefulness and resilience of the cheetah.

No: This is a ridiculous idea. Big cats are majestic and magnificent animals, but the apex predators have nothing in common with humans. Humans learn best from other humans.

Or... As the population grows, the lives of humans and animals are becoming increasingly intertwined. It is vital that even if we cannot learn from our wild neighbours, we take steps to understand them.