The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the world's fastest land animal, a slender, small-headed, long-legged cat built for speed rather than strength. Its tan coat is covered in solid black spots and its tail carries black rings. In the Kruger it hunts by day on open ground, sprinting after small and medium antelope.
Name
Cheetah [Acinonyx jubatus]
Appearance
The cheetah has the a much smaller body than a leopard and is characterized by a slender body, a rounded head and very long legs. It has small rounded ears compared to the Leopard. From its snout to its tail, the cheetah stretches 2 meters and weighs about 50kg on average. The Cheetah has low hind quarters and a concaved back. The Cheetah has a lightly coloured yellowish coat that is littered in black spots. Its tail has black rings that run along it towards the tip. Its tail is as long as half its body.
Diet
The Cheetah is a predator that hunts medium sized prey such as Steenbok and Duiker, Springbok and Gazelle, though there have been cases where groups of males have worked together to take down much larger prey like Wildebeest. Baboons, Bustards, Hares, ground dwelling birds and Porcupines also fall prey to the cheetah.
Breeding
Cheetahs don’t have a fixed breeding season and rather give birth after a 3-month gestation period. On average, there will be 3 cubs in a litter, with some cases even having 6. The cubs stay with their mother for two years but unfortunately a majority of the cubs won’t make it to adulthood as they are constantly preyed upon by Lions, Hyenas, Leopards and Foxes. With the Cheetah being a frail and smaller cat compared to most other cats and predators, the mother will rather sacrifice her cubs or risk being killed. Luckily the survival rate for cheetahs in concealed and covered areas is much higher.
Behaviour
Cheetahs live in family groups that vary between 2 and 6, though some prefer to live in solitary. Cheetahs are primarily daytime hunters and will be active during the peaks of sunrise and sunset. Cheetahs will choose a resting place that is elevated and will rest under trees in the shade during the hot hours of the day. A surprising thing is a cheetah’s sound isn’t like a cat or any aggressive animal that growls, but it makes a bird-like chirp. They do occasionally hiss, growl and snarl like a domestic cat too. Cheetahs are known as the fastest land animals on earth, clocking in at 90 km/h at full sprint. Unfortunately, they are sprinters and not endurance runners.
Habitat
The Cheetah prefers large open areas where they can run freely and also call more wooded areas home.
Where they can be found
The cheetah is a rare and very protected species and are only found in the Kalahari and remote areas like Mpumalanga and the Northern cape. Cheetahs were eliminated in KwaZulu Natal and have small numbers in Namibia.
Interesting notes
The King Cheetah isn’t a separate species of Cheetah but rather a very rare occasion. The King Cheetah’s colouration differs greatly from the Cheetah as the spots of the King Cheetah are much larger and many of them are connected creating large splotches instead of individual dots. The King Cheetah can be seen in the Kruger park during Kruger Park Safaris and are a great sight to see.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast can a cheetah run?
The cheetah is the fastest land animal, reaching roughly 100 to 120 km/h in short bursts over a few hundred metres. Its lightweight frame, long legs, flexible spine and semi-non-retractable claws are all adaptations for acceleration and grip, but it can sustain top speed only briefly before overheating.
What does a cheetah hunt?
Cheetahs mainly take small to medium prey such as steenbok, duiker, springbok and young impala, along with hares, ground birds and porcupines. They hunt by day, using speed rather than ambush. Occasionally coalitions of males cooperate to bring down larger prey such as wildebeest.
What is the difference between a cheetah and a leopard?
Cheetahs are slender, tall and built for daytime speed, with solid round spots and two black tear-lines running from eye to mouth. Leopards are stockier, nocturnal and much stronger, marked with rosettes rather than solid spots, and they haul kills into trees, something the lighter cheetah cannot do.
Where can you see cheetahs in the Kruger?
Cheetahs favour open grassland and lightly wooded plains where they can build up speed, so they are more often seen in the Kruger's open central and eastern areas than in dense bush. They are far scarcer than lions or leopards, so a daytime cheetah sighting on a game drive is a real treat.
Why are cheetahs so scarce?
Cheetahs are far less numerous than the Kruger's other big cats, and cub survival is low because lions, hyenas and leopards frequently kill the vulnerable young. This natural pressure, together with their need for large open ranges, keeps numbers low and makes protected areas like the Kruger important for the species.
