Fascinating facts about the cheetah

The cheetah is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at 50 to 80 mph, and as such has several adaptations for speed, including a light build, long thin legs and a long tail. It typically reaches 67–94 cm at the shoulder.

Adults weigh between 20 and 65 kg. Its head is small, rounded, and has a short snout and black tear-like facial streaks. The coat is typically tawny to creamy white or pale buff and is mostly covered with evenly spaced, solid black spots.

The cheetah is active mainly during the day and hunting is its major preoccupation, with peaks during dawn and dusk. It feeds on small- to medium-sized prey such as impala, springbok and Thomson's gazelles. The cheetah will typically stalk its prey to within 70 m , charge towards it, trip it during the chase and bite its throat to suffocate it to death.