To watch the world’s fastest terrestrial mammal at full speed, in hot pursuit of its prey, is one of those magical moments in life that will never leave you. It is awe-inspiring – nature at her fittest. But, as with all wild animals, to witness such a special sight still requires lots of patience and a fair dose of luck. Yet to simply spend time with these speed-specialists whilst they go about the business of raising their cubs, defining territorial terms, encountering other wild animals or simply moving through the bush in that lithe way they do is a privilege and an altogether enchanting experience.
Cheetah
Slender speed specialist
Fleet-footed, spotted wonder
DISCOVER CHEETAH
SIGHTINGS
PHOTO GALLERY
INFORMATION
A coalition of cheetahs
At a glance
Height
800 cm
Weight
40-60 kg
Gestate
3 months
Young
1-6 cubs
Lifespan
16 years
Diet
Carnivore
Get to know the cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Adapted from Game Ranger in your Backpack © Megan Emmett
Body
The cheetah has very long legs, a flexible spine and a thin waist to facilitate the long strides it must take when hunting. The long tail is also used for this purpose, acting as a rudder to counter-balance the animal on sharp directional changes.
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A deep-set chest houses large lungs and heart to aid in oxygenating the cat during hot pursuits.
Head
Two diagnostic black ‘tear marks’ line the sides of a cheetah’s nose, running from the corner of the eyes to the corners of the mouth. The small, streamlined head has small ears to reduce drag. A cheetah’s dentition is small to reduce skull weight.
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This also accommodates the enlarged nasal cavities, which are necessary for oxygen intake. The nostrils are aerodynamic to maximise airflow over them during sprints.
Feet
There are pads on the underside of a cheetah’s feet that are hard and ridged for traction and braking ability. Claws are semi-retractable and unsheathed, also giving traction during chases and impressing in their spoor.
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This feature makes them more easily discernible from leopards or lions.
Pelt
Cheetahs have a golden-coloured coat dotted with solid black spots (not rosettes). Adults have a crest of hair down their backs which is erectable and used to accentuate their size in confrontations, making them appear more formidable.
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Up until three months old, cubs have a mantle of grey fur along the saddle of their backs, which makes them resemble the formidable honey badger and is believed to deter larger predators from attacking them.
Voice
Cheetahs make various high-pitched bird-like sounds, unusual for a large cat. They do this to communicate with cubs or in greeting. Contented cheetah purr loudly but when distressed they may growl, snarl, hiss, bleat, cough or moan.
Hunting
Even though they are able to run extremely fast, cheetahs need to get as close to their prey as possible before launching an attack. They will make use of available cover to stalk, freezing if the quarry raises its head.
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They usually select an animal on the outskirts of the herd and, once in pursuit, must gain on the target quickly or they will abandon the chase. Prey is tripped with a paw and then suffocated around the throat. Cheetahs catch their breath before feeding, dragging kills into the shade where possible.
Diet
Cheetah risk injury by hunting prey that is too large. A great deal of strength is needed to pull down large ungulates, for example, wildebeest or zebra, and they lack the power of a leopard or lioness behind their attack.
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Males tend to overcome this limitation by teaming up in coalitions to pull down larger prey. Generally, however, cheetahs target immature members of large herbivore species. They are finicky feeders, slicing meat from the surface of a kill and discarding the innards, barring the heart and liver. Bones and skin are typically too tough for them to attempt. Generally, cheetah don’t scavenge.
Activity
Most active while it is cool in the early morning and late afternoon, cheetah take to the shade in the heat of the day and rest at night. If it’s cold, they may delay their activities temporarily in favour of warming up in the sun.
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Being lightweights, cheetahs are mostly defenceless against larger carnivores and regularly lose kills to them, exacerbated by the fact that they are not able to feed immediately after a kill because they become too exhausted by the chase and must first catch their breath. Cheetah are diurnal to avoid the unwanted attention of nocturnal predators that are typically resting during daylight hours. This is not always adequate to deter opportunists like hyena, lion and leopard.
Climbing
While not particularly gifted at climbing, cheetah do use elevated places such as sloped tree trunks, termite mounds or raised ground to gain vantage while searching for prey to hunt, surveying terrain or when resting.
Social structure
Cheetah are not as social as lions but they do prefer to live in small family units, usually made up of a mother and her growing cubs. Males, often brothers, form coalitions of about three for hunting and to compete with other males. Males and females consort only to mate.
Territory
Ritualised threat displays are typically employed to chase off intruders, but when an oestrus female is at stake, males will engage with front paw slaps. Females have larger territories than males and these overlap but they don’t join up unless to mate.
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Territories are scent marked with urine and scat.
Early life
Cubs are born in discreet hiding places and frequently moved. A mother carries her litter one at a time by the scruff of the neck. She brings them meat at just five weeks old and cubs wean in three months. They begin hunting at eight months
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Young cheetah become independent at eighteen months, living a nomadic life until they are old enough to vie for territories. They may wander great distances during this time and are vulnerable to large predators as well as competition with others of their own kind for food.
Virtual Safaris
Join safari guide, Kris “Harri” Harrison as she travels to &BEYOND’s magnificent wildlife destinations and discovers the sleek sprinters that race through them.
Sightings from the field
Caught on camera by our guides and guests
Share my sighting
Have the will of a tiger, the speed of a cheetah, and the heart of a lion [Kevin McCarty]
Frozen in time
Photography showcase
Photographers behind the lens
IMPACT THROUGH COLLABORATION
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Where to see cheetahs
Browse some of our lodges where cheetah viewing is at a prime
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