The cheetah holds the title of the fastest land animal, reaching speeds of 95-110 km/h (60-70 mph) in a short time over a distance of 500 metres.
Their slender, lightweight body and flexible backbone are designed to work in conjunction with the cheetah’s large nasal cavity to take in more oxygen during high-speed pursuits.
Their iconic ‘tear marks’ from the inside of both eyes to the sides of the mouth serve an important function.
The marks reflect the glare of the sun and help focus their attention on the prey they are tracking, an adaptation perfectly suited to their hunting skills, which rely on speed and precision rather than strength. The cheetah can be said to be the originator of the black lines under the eyes of major league baseball and football players who run around in the hot sun.
As well as speed and hunting, the cheetah also has a distinctive ‘growl’ that sets it apart from other ‘big cats’. While most big cats cannot growl and purr, the cheetah, along with the cougar, is a unique exception in that it can both exhale and inhale like a domestic cat.
And here’s what the non-roaring one sounds like.
Although there is no clearly documented history of the cheetah’s discovery in the western world, it is depicted in ancient Egyptian art dating back to the Amarna period of Egyptian history around 1350 BC. Cheetahs were kept as close partners by Egyptian royalty, who admired this graceful animal, and were also used on hunting expeditions.
Compared to other large felines such as lions and tigers, cheetahs are more vulnerable to changes in prey populations due to their specialised diet, which mainly consists of small to medium-sized even-toed ungulates.
Also, unlike these robust cousins, they avoid direct confrontation with other predators and often lose prey to aggressive animals. This is actually due to their less aggressive nature and their light body structure, which is not designed for combat.
Genetic bottleneck. This is the loss of a significant proportion of the cheetah’s genetic variation due to a drastic population decline about 10 000 years ago. The very low genetic diversity made it more difficult for them to adapt to changes in their environment and made them more susceptible to certain diseases. This bottleneck effect is very pronounced in cheetahs, where genetically two cheetahs are as closely related as identical twins.
They have a special method of reproduction called ovulation induction. This means that the female cheetah’s ovulation cycle is induced by the presence of the male. Adult females also usually live alone, except when raising young.
Looking at reproductive behaviour, the fertilised eggs do not implant in the uterus immediately after fertilisation, but instead, to our surprise, lie dormant for a certain period of time. By remaining dormant for some time, the female delays conception until conditions are favourable, an unusual feature.
Males often have to compete for the attention of females, resulting in interesting behaviours such as living and hunting in small groups (usually with brothers and sisters), often called coalitions, to secure mating rights.
Unlike most carnivores, cheetahs hunt mainly during the day, especially at dawn and dusk. Their characteristic hunting style, which relies on excellent eyesight to locate, pursue and bite prey from a distance, contrasts with the stalking and ambush techniques used by other large cats.
Although cheetahs are often associated with the grasslands of Africa, it is less well known that there is a unique population of Asiatic cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) in Iran.
Although currently endangered, they are proof that cheetahs can live outside the typical African savannah environment.
It is currently listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, largely due to habitat loss, illegal wildlife trade and conflict with human activities. Conservation efforts such as habitat protection, stricter law enforcement and community education are paramount to ensure the survival of this special species.
Critical challenges to cheetah conservation also exist in the wild. High infant mortality rates. As many as 75% of young cheetahs die before reaching adulthood due to predation by lions and hyenas. Recovering the population has been a slow and painstaking process.
However, there are examples of successful conservation efforts in the cheetah. One subspecies of cheetah is the South African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus). They are a prime example of animals that have been brought back from the brink of extinction. This feat was achieved through the concerted efforts of conservationists in the 1950s, using novel techniques such as captive breeding and reintroduction.
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