It is estimated that only 5% of cheetah cubs survive in the wild. Let’s find out what the seven cool things are about this endangered predator.
- Record holder
The cheetah is the fastest land animal – he can run at speeds of up to 120km/h. But he can only keep up this speed for short distances of about 200-300m – luckily, for his prey. If ever there was a race between cheetahs and sports cars to see who would reach the highest speed the fastest, the cheetah would win. He can reach 112km/h in just three seconds!
2. Built for speed
When looking at the cheetah, you realise that he is totally built for speed with his long, slender body and legs. His tail is also very long, and acts as a rudder to help him keep his balance and to ‘steer’ him when he has to make quick turns. This is extremely helpful when he’s trying to catch his prey.
3. Tear marks
The cheetah has distinctive ‘tear marks’ in the form of black lines that run from the inside corners of his eyes down to the outside edges of his mouth. These marks not only enable us to identify cheetahs easily, but they also help to reflect the sun’s glare away from the cheetah’s eyes, making it easier for him to focus on hunting his prey.
4. Not a leopard
The cheetah and leopard both belong to the big cat family, but in addition to their different looks, their behaviour also differs a lot. The leopard is more muscular, has shorter legs and a bigger head than the cheetah, and he can easily climb trees. The cheetah, on the other hand, would rather sit on a high point, like an ants’ nest, than climb a tree. The leopard hunts at night, whereas the cheetah prefers to hunt during the day, when there is much less competition from other predators.
5. Cousins
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) there are five recognised types of cheetahs – the South African cheetah, East African cheetah, Northeast African cheetah, Northwest African cheetah and the Asiatic cheetah.
6. What’s for breakfast?
One would think that the fast-running cheetah wouldn’t have any problems catching his prey. On the contrary, the cheetah misses more often than he catches his prey. That is because he can only run fast for such short distances.
As if it is not challenging enough to catch something, bigger predators – like lions and leopards – often steal the cheetah’s freshly caught food from him. Such bullies!
7. In ancient times
Egyptian pharaohs tamed cheetahs and kept them as house pets. Of course, it is not a good idea to keep them as pets, as these animals belong in the wild.
