Curious cheetah jumps onto the backseat during a Serengeti safari

Forget zoos—going on safari is the real deal. Each year, thousands flock halfway across the world to spend time on African safaris, to witness our planet’s most alluring animals on their home turf.

But what happens when the script flips and a wild animal’s curiosity becomes greater than yours? Last week, Britton Hayes found out.

The Seattle college student was traveling through Tanzania for his spring break from college. During an afternoon game drive in Serengeti National Park his guide stopped their SUV to watch three cheetahs brothers engaged in a gazelle hunt. In an instant, the cheetahs drew near to their SUV and one decided to jump on the vehicle’s hood. The driver was highly professional and told everyone to stay calm and still.

But no one could have guessed what came next.

Distracted by the first cheetah, a second cheetah suddenly leapt right into the back of their safari vehicle, inches from the passengers. Everyone froze.

“Alex (my guide) kept me calm and made sure I never made eye contact nor startled the cheetah,” Hayes said.

The group had to sit still for ten minutes—about how long it takes to fold a load of laundry!—while the cheetah sniffed the seats. He once even stuck his head out the top of the SUV as if looking for wildlife himself. Eventually, the cheetah jumped out and the two brothers continued on with their gazelle hunt.

Following the encounter, Hayes stated that he now feels he can tackle anything and that the experience made him feel “alive.”