Remembering Cheetahs
Save the world's fastest land animal
With a unique slim build, long legs and a long tail – this big cat
native to Africa and Central Iran were adapted for speed. Cheetahs can
go from 0 to 112km/h in just three seconds. They are the only big cat
who can’t retract their claws, which contribute to their agility. Their
long tails act as a counterbalance when zig zagging across plains
hunting prey. They are also the only big cat who can’t roar; but rather
purr like a domestic cat or make a chirping sound. Cheetahs only hunt
during the day and it is believed that the dark tear marks on their face
help reduce the sun’s glare.
Unfortunately, cheetahs are listed as ‘Endangered’ by the International
Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened species. In
North Africa and Asia, they are considered ‘Critically Endangered’.
Cheetahs are Africa’s most endangered big cat with populations declining
from an estimated 100,000 in 1900, to only about 7,000 in the wild
today. This is a result of illegal poaching, habitat loss, vehicle
collision, farmers killing cheetahs and humans hunting their prey.