The cheetah is the fastest land animal and the only cat that hunts by pure speed. Found largely in open grasslands, its slim, elegant form is today an increasingly rare sight.
Sometimes confused with leopards, cheetahs actually have very different markings; from their solid spots, opposed to the rosettes of a leopard, to the black ‘tear’ marks running down their cheeks.
They have more slender bodies and longer legs and, unlike all other big cats, cannot retract their claws. Cheetahs hunt during the day to avoid competition with the larger cats, including lion and leopard.
Their ‘tear’ marks help to absorb the bright sunlight and prevent glare and they will hunt anything, from baby antelope and ostrich to wildebeest. Rather than hide in the foliage, cheetahs are usually found in open spaces – this allows them to chase down their prey without obstacles.
Usually solitary animals, you may find a family group sticking together or a group of dominant males forming a coalition. The young cubs are born to resemble honey badgers as a form of defense.
The cheetah is unique among Africa’s large carnivores in relying on speed as a hunting strategy: long-legged and deep-chested, it is the greyhound of the cat world, capable of surpassing 100km/h in a short burst. A cheetah typically hunts small to medium-sized antelope, including impala, springbok and gazelles.
The downside of the cheetah’s specialisation is a reduced resilience: this predator quickly surrenders its prey to other predators, and its silver-maned cubs, born in the open, are vulnerable to attack from hyenas and lions.
When viewing cheetahs on safari it is almost exclusively done by 4WD safari vehicle – considering their habitat is open savannah. If guests are lucky, a cheetah (or cheetahs) may even use the vehicle as a termite mound – a thrill few safari goers will ever forget.
They may even use the vehicle as shade from the sun’s rays. This happens more frequently In East Africa across the wide open plains of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park or Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve.
Watching a cheetah hunt is also an exhilarating experience – seeing a cheetah sprinting in full flight after a gazelle or impala is a heart-stopping experience. The fastest land animal on the planet these cats can reach speeds of up to 120km/h.
Sitting and watching the interaction between cubs or a mother and her cub is also fascinating and heart-warming. The cubs often play together practicing their hunting skills or chasing after Mum’s tail – important skills they learn early for when they leave their mother.
Sexual maturity occurs at 18 to 23 months. The gestation period is about three months, and the average litter size is three to six cubs. While there is no definitive breeding season, a majority of births occur during the wet season. At birth, cubs weigh about 250 to 300 grams.
Their fur is dark and includes a thick yellowish gray mane along the back, a trait that presumably offers better camouflage and increased protection from high temperatures during the day and low temperatures at night during the first few months of life.
Mortality among young cubs can be as high as 90 percent in the wild, often because of other predators. At six weeks, the young are strong enough to follow the hunt and when they are about six months old the mother will capture live prey for them to practice killing.
The average lifespan of wild cheetahs is 8 to 10 years. In human care, the average lifespan is 12 to 15 years.