The Cheetah is one of the most graceful of the cat family. The cheetah is one of the few members of the cat family which hunts with speed rather than stealth. The cheetah is considered to be the fastest animal on planet Earth.The name cheetah comes from the term 'Chitraka' in the ancient Indian language Sanksrit, which means 'speckled'.

The cheetah is primarily found in Africa. It is said to have evolved in Africa some 7.5 to 26 million years ago and then moved on to Asia.

The cheetah's body is adapted for its speed. It has a slender body with a narrow waist. It has long legs and a deep chest. The cheetah has blunt claws which are semi-retractable.The cheetah weighs from thirty five to fifty kilograms. Its total body length can be anything from one hundred and ten to one hundred and thirty five centimeters.The cheetah has a long tail, with its tail length sometimes reaching till eighty four centimeters.

One of the most important features of the cheetah is it's coat. The cheetah has a coat of small, black spots which is coarse and short. It has a short head and high-set eyes. The cheetah's fur is naturally tailor made to help it camouflage itself while hunting prey. While the upper body of the cheetah is spotted, the cheetah's belly is white is non spotted. The cheetah's black spots measure from two to three centimeters.

Another important aid the cheetah has for hunting are the tear marks along both it's eyes. The tear marks run from its eyes through its cheeks and till its mouth. These tear marks shield the cheetah's eyes from the sun and make it one of the most deadly hunters in the animal kingdom.

The most interesting factor in the cheetah is its speed. The cheetah reaches up to 100 km/hr with short bursts lasting till 450 meters.Also, it has an astounding acceleration of zero to one hundred km/hr in three seconds. This speed is faster than many of the racing cars.

The cheetah has many unique anatomical adaptations which contribute to its speed. It has large nostrils which enable it to optimize its oxygen intake. Also, it has a enlarged heart and lung. The cheetahs heart and lungs work together to circulate oxygen more efficiently as compared to other animals. The cheetah's tail also helps it in its speed. Due to the length of its tail, the cheetah can use it as a rudder to steer,which gives it an added advantage over its prey.

The cheetah cannot roar like other big cats. However, it can purr while inhaling. Though the cheetah cannot growl it can yip, chur, growl, yowl and purr.

The cheetah is vulnerable. It is the least adaptable in the entire cat kingdom. The lifespan of a cheetah is twelve years in the wild and twenty years in captivity. The cheetah mostly eats mammals under fifty kilograms. Some of its oft-hunted prey are the Thomson's Gazelle, Impala, Wildebeests and calves. It also hunts guineafowl and hare.

The cheetah hunts either alone or in groups. It hunts either early in the morning or late in the evening. Cheetahs depend more on their vision rather than scent while hunting. The cheetah chases its prey for about ten to thirty meters. The chase is done with in under a minute. One interesting fact about the cheetah is that it will leave its prey if it doesn't make a quick catch.

The cheetahs have been used in hunting sports in ancient times. Egyptians, Persians and later Indians would engage cheetahs in hunting sports. Cheetahs have also enjoyed being the pets of royalty. Genghis Khan, Charlemagne and in modern times the Emperor of Abysinnia, Haile Selassie had cheetahs as pets.
One of the four super cats to roam this earth, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), though a member of the cat family (Felidae) is uniquely different from the rest of the cats. Cheetahs are known for their phenomenal speed, but lack the climbing abilities present in other cats. This species is the sole surviving member of the genus Acinonyx. It is considered to be the fastest land animal, clocking speeds of up to 120km/h, though it can achieve this in short bursts and over short distances only. This animal can accelerate from 0 to 103km/h (64mph) in three seconds flat, faster than most supercars! Now that's really fast, which brings us to the logical query of what do cheetahs eat so as to maintain such fantastic speeds and an athletic body. Read more on asiatic cheetah.

Cheetah Characteristics and Habitat

The cheetah is different from other cats in the way that it has longer legs and a leaner body. It is also known as the "greyhound" of the cats. Primarily, it is not an aggressive, but rather a shy animal, preferring flight rather than fight. It has weak jaws and rather small teeth for a carnivorous cat, that's the price it has paid for attaining speed. The cheetah can run and catch almost any prey but cannot fight larger predators or protect its kills or young cubs. A common mistake is to consider a cheetah as a leopard, which is certainly not the case. The distinct features of the cheetah are the long tear-drop shaped lines on both sides of the nose running from the corner of the eyes to the mouth. The cheetah has black spots measuring from ¾ to 1 ¼ inches on a tan or buff colored coat. There are spots on the tail which merge to form four to six dark rings but no spots on its white belly. The cheetah is also one of the oldest cats around, having first roamed on this earth an astonishing 18 million years ago!! Phew... now that's what I call really old.

Anyways, the cheetah is found, or rather was found widely in the whole of Africa and south western Asia. Loss of habitat and prey besides hunting has led to rapid decline in the cheetah population and unfortunately it has all but vanished from Asia and most of Africa, rendering it a vulnerable species and could soon end up on the endangered animals list. The cheetah thrives where prey is abundant and where there are vast expanses of land. It prefers to live in an open area of uniform environmental conditions for flora and fauna such as grasslands or semi-desert areas and thick brush wastelands, though it can also be found in diverse habitats such as dense vegetation and hilly terrain. Now having read so much about the cheetah will naturally make you wonder as to what do cheetahs eat and how much. Let's look at their diet and other eating habits in the subsequent paragraph.

What do Cheetahs Eat and Drink

Cheetahs like the other big cats - lions, panthers, jaguars and leopards are carnivores surviving in the wild which means they eat meat, more meat and some more meat. A simple glance at the design of cheetahs' teeth and you will realize that the large canines are for holding and ripping meat from a carcass, razor sharp incisors for snipping slicing and shearing meat. Alright, I agree this all is getting a bit too graphic...The cheetah eats mostly mammals under 40kg (88lb), including deer and antelope like the Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, the springbok and the impala. The young ones of larger mammals such as zebras and wildebeests. When the cats hunt in groups, even adult mammals fall prey. In times of scarcity and hunger warthogs hares and guineafowl are also on their menu. A unique feature about the cheetah is that it is a diurnal hunter which means, unlike other big cats, it hunts early in the morning or later in the evening. As for what do cheetahs drink, well nobody has, as of now, seen them drinking anything besides water. So we can safely say that a cheetah drinks water like all other wild cats.

Cheetahs rely on their vision for hunting rather than scent. The unfortunate prey is stalked to within 10-30m, then hunted down. The whole spectacle, yes it is quite a spectacle though brutal as it may sound, is over in less than a minute. If the cheetah fails to hunt the prey quickly, it will give up. The cheetah has an average success rate of about 30% , seven out of ten chases result in failure. Cheetahs look for animals which have drifted some distance from their pack or group, and do not seek out old or weak ones as is the case with other predators.

Interesting Facts about Cheetahs
•Cheetahs hunt relying more on their excellent vision, rather than their sense of smell.
•Baby cheetahs (called ‘cubs’) fall prey to lions, leopards, hyenas, wild dogs and eagles. Mother cheetahs valiantly try to defend their cubs, but are usually unsuccessful. About 90% of cheetah cubs are killed during the first few weeks of life.
•Cheetahs have a unique purring growl which is let out when they get annoyed or are faced with danger.
•Female cheetahs are known to have a litter of up to 9 cubs at a time, although the normal size of a litter is 3 to 5 cubs.
•Cheetahs are a species under threat and are vulnerable to extinction, loss of natural habitat and other animals, including humans, preying on them are considered to be the main reasons. Read some more cheetah facts.
I hope this article could provide you an insight into what do cheetahs eat, their characteristics and their habitat. The world of the smallest yet most magnificent animal of the feline family is fast shrinking. Come let us try and help this beautiful creation of God by doing our bit, that is to spread awareness.
Cheetah is a member of the cat family. It is known for its speed, hence it is also known as the fastest land animal and can reach speeds of 112 to 120 kilometers per hour. It is also known to accelerate from 0 to 103 kilometers per hour in as short as 3 seconds. Do you realize it is much faster than the most of the fastest cars? With all their speeding abilities, it lacks climbing abilities. The name ‘cheetah’ is derived from a Sanskrit word, which means ‘variegated body’. The name cheetah actually came into use through Hindi. The name given to the cheetah is appropriate, as cheetah in Hindi does mean the spotted one. Since they are known to have high bursts of speed, where do cheetahs live is a natural question, so that they are able to use their speeding abilities.

Cheetah Habitat Information

Previously the cheetahs were more wide spread. One of the cheetah habitat facts, is that they inhabited as far as extreme east India and as north as Southern Kazakhstan. Ancient time fossils of cheetah have also been discovered from China. However with the depleting forest reserve and also with the declining number of these cats, cheetah habitats are indeed dwindling fast.

Today the cheetahs are almost limited to the sub-Saharan Africa. These animals are now mainly found in eastern Africa, around the border between southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They can also be seen in southern Africa, primarily in northern Namibia, Botswana and western Zambia. It is not that these cats are found in Africa. The largest population of cheetahs, estimated to be at 3000 is said to be in southern and eastern Africa in Namibia. Although in very small numbers, these cats can also be found in northeastern Iran and Northwest Afghanistan. Along with Iran and Afghanistan, they can also be found in northern India. The cheetahs found in India are also known as Asiatic cheetah.

To give a more specific answer to your query, about where do cheetahs live, is that they prefer to live in semi-desert areas, in the savannas, prairies, open woodlands and thick bush areas. Since they rely on their speed to hunt, and do not have good climbing abilities, they avoid dense forest areas. They can also be found in the plains. The cheetahs are known to make good use of elevation, such as termite mounds, etc, which dot the landscape and gain a good view of its territory and a potential good meal. You can plan to take a safari and visit the Namib and Kalahari deserts and to be more precise Masai Mara and Serengeti Parks to spot a cheetah.

The African population of the cheetahs is also threatened and is depleting, because of loss of habitat, which has resulted in decline in prey, poaching for various parts to be sold in the international market. And not to forget, that the cheetahs have been shot down as they become livestock predator, when they visit human settlements in search of food. Different conservation measures are been taken to avoid the cheetah from becoming an entry in the endangered species list. The mortality rate during the first three months after birth is as high as 90%, in spite of the precautions taken by the mother. The mother shifts the cubs to different locations every few days to keep them away from their predators such as a lion, hyena or leopard. Who are often able to sniff the cubs out, when the mother cheetah is out hunting for her meal. One of the cheetah facts is, that if the average is to be considered, less than one third of the cubs survive to become adults. In other words, if we are to see these animals in the future as well, apart from the care about the habitat and protect them from poaching, care will also have to be taken, to lower the mortality rate.

Now that you know, where do cheetahs live, are you planning to take an African safari and see these beautiful creatures with your eyes. It will certainly make for a dream come true, to watch a cheetah in action in its own habitat.

Also considered to be the swiftest mammal on the planet, cheetah is a spotted wild cat, native to the grasslands of Africa and southwestern Asia. Although, this wild cat is famous for its impressive speed, other aspects about this animal, such as cheetah habitat and diet, still continue to elude people. In fact, there are many more things worth knowing about the cheetah, other then its agility. Before we move on to what is a cheetah's habitat, let's have a brief look at this magnificent animal, which is considered to be the fastest animal on land.

About Cheetah in Brief
The cheetah is typically characterized by a long slender body, with flexible spine and long legs. It sports a yellow fur coat, with black spots all over the body, except for the underside. An adult cheetah can grow up to a length of 45 to 53 inches, attain a height of 26 to 37 inches and weigh approximately 79 to 140 lbs. Its body structure plays a crucial role in making the cheetah the fastest animal on land. It can clock the speed of anywhere between 100 to 120 kph with ease. The cheetah has the ability to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in just 3 seconds, however, it can only achieve this feat for a short distance of around 500 meters. This carnivorous animal can eat anything which is smaller than it in size. Its speed plays a vital role, when it comes to hunting in open grasslands. Read more on what do cheetahs eat.

Cheetah Habitat Information
As we mentioned earlier, cheetah is native to various countries in Africa and southwestern Asia. The Asiatic cheetah became extinct from the Indian subcontinent in 1952. Read more on extinct animals. Even though there have been reports of unconfirmed sightings from several Asian countries, none of these reports have substantial evidence to prove their existence. Even in Africa, the cheetah population has received a major setback. Once found all over the continent, today the animal is restricted to small pockets in various parts of the country. Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia and Botswana have a significant number of cheetahs left, with Namibia having the highest population (approximately 2500 individuals) at present. Read more on endangered species.

A cheetah is mainly known to inhabit areas characterized by vast open land and availability of prey in abundance. When hunting, the cheetah tends to go as near the prey as possible before taking the impressive sprint, and hence it prefers an area which is marked by vegetation dense enough to hide and get near the prey, but not as dense as to hinder the chase. Such conditions for the cheetah to thrive are found in semi-desert, savanna, grassland and prairie regions. The cheetah habitat also differs according to the region where it is found. For instance, in Namibia it inhabits the savannas, whereas in the Iran it inhabits dry, semi-desert areas. Read more on cheetah facts.

This was a brief about cheetah habitat and information related to its distribution around the world. Found in abundance at one point of time, excessive poaching and loss of habitat has brought down the number of cheetahs to an all time low. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has already declared cheetah as a vulnerable species. If proper measures for the conservation of this animal are not implemented soon, there are significant chances that the cheetah will become extinct within a few years from now.

Also considered to be the swiftest mammal on the planet, cheetah is a spotted wild cat, native to the grasslands of Africa and southwestern Asia. Although, this wild cat is famous for its impressive speed, other aspects about this animal, such as cheetah habitat and diet, still continue to elude people. In fact, there are many more things worth knowing about the cheetah, other then its agility. Before we move on to what is a cheetah's habitat, let's have a brief look at this magnificent animal, which is considered to be the fastest animal on land.

About Cheetah in Brief
The cheetah is typically characterized by a long slender body, with flexible spine and long legs. It sports a yellow fur coat, with black spots all over the body, except for the underside. An adult cheetah can grow up to a length of 45 to 53 inches, attain a height of 26 to 37 inches and weigh approximately 79 to 140 lbs. Its body structure plays a crucial role in making the cheetah the fastest animal on land. It can clock the speed of anywhere between 100 to 120 kph with ease. The cheetah has the ability to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in just 3 seconds, however, it can only achieve this feat for a short distance of around 500 meters. This carnivorous animal can eat anything which is smaller than it in size. Its speed plays a vital role, when it comes to hunting in open grasslands. Read more on what do cheetahs eat.

Cheetah Habitat Information
As we mentioned earlier, cheetah is native to various countries in Africa and southwestern Asia. The Asiatic cheetah became extinct from the Indian subcontinent in 1952. Read more on extinct animals. Even though there have been reports of unconfirmed sightings from several Asian countries, none of these reports have substantial evidence to prove their existence. Even in Africa, the cheetah population has received a major setback. Once found all over the continent, today the animal is restricted to small pockets in various parts of the country. Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia and Botswana have a significant number of cheetahs left, with Namibia having the highest population (approximately 2500 individuals) at present. Read more on endangered species.

A cheetah is mainly known to inhabit areas characterized by vast open land and availability of prey in abundance. When hunting, the cheetah tends to go as near the prey as possible before taking the impressive sprint, and hence it prefers an area which is marked by vegetation dense enough to hide and get near the prey, but not as dense as to hinder the chase. Such conditions for the cheetah to thrive are found in semi-desert, savanna, grassland and prairie regions. The cheetah habitat also differs according to the region where it is found. For instance, in Namibia it inhabits the savannas, whereas in the Iran it inhabits dry, semi-desert areas. Read more on cheetah facts.

This was a brief about cheetah habitat and information related to its distribution around the world. Found in abundance at one point of time, excessive poaching and loss of habitat has brought down the number of cheetahs to an all time low. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has already declared cheetah as a vulnerable species. If proper measures for the conservation of this animal are not implemented soon, there are significant chances that the cheetah will become extinct within a few years from now.

The Asiatic Cheetah is a magnificent animal that derives its name from the Sanskrit word Chitraka meaning 'the spotted one'. Once found all over South-West Asia, India and her neighbors in the north west, the Asiatic Cheetah is now found only in Iran. However, some rare sightings have also been reported from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Because of this, this predator which was once known as the Indian Cheetah, is now more popularly known as the Iranian Cheetah.

Habitat
The Asiatic Cheetah prefers to live in dry, semi-desert areas with less vegetation. The reason being this type of terrain suits its mode of hunting, which is running and attacking rather than stalking and pouncing on its prey. It thrives well in treeless plains or plains which are covered with bushes or medium and tall grasses.

Appearance
The fastest animal on land, the Asiatic Cheetah is built for speed. It can reach an incredible speed of up to 70 mph. Its long, slender body is balanced on strong, lean legs while its two and a half feet long tail helps it to maintain balance while taking sharp turns as it hunts down its prey. Its body is usually four to five feet long and it can grow up to two and a half feet tall. Its tawny coat is made of short, coarse hair and is marked with its characteristic black spots from which it derives its name.

Hunting Habits
Usually a solitary hunter, the Asiatic Cheetah hunts during the day. This adaptation is to reduce direct conflict with other cats that hunt during the night. The Asiatic Cheetah hunts by using its ability to run fast. It chases its prey and brings it down by the throat. The favorite prey of the Asiatic Cheetah are the gazelles, antelopes, wild goat, and wild sheep.

Threats to its Survival
Once the pride of the Indian Maharajas, the Asiatic Cheetah is now on the brink of extinction. The factors that have played an important role in their dwindling numbers are:

•Loss of Prey: Encroachment by human population into the forests have resulted in the loss of habitat of the prey of the Asiatic Cheetah. Hunting and poaching of these herbivores by human beings has made food scarce for the feline.
•Loss of Habitat: Increase in human population has not only caused the habitat of its preys to shrink but has also caused the cheetah to lose its home. Besides this, the habitat of the cheetah in Iran has been found to be rich in coal, copper and iron deposits. Although mining itself is not a direct cause of the loss of habitat of the cheetah, allied activities like construction of roads and increase in traffic has led to more frequent confrontations between the Asiatic Cheetah and human beings.
•Hunting and Poaching: The Asiatic Cheetah has been a coveted kill for its coat. It was hunted to near extinction by the Indian Royalty and Europeans for its coat which was a symbol of wealth and bravery.
•Genetic Factor: The inherent problem with this cat is the lack of genetic diversity. The Asiatic Cheetah has descended from a small group of ancestors that interbred some thousands of years back. This has weakened its immune system which in turn is one of the main reasons of the high mortality rate among the cheetah cubs.
•Use in Hunting: One of the earliest reasons for the decline in the number of these cats is their use in hunting by man. The Asiatic Cheetah is the only cat that can be tamed and trained to hunt. The Indian emperor Akbar is believed to have had about 1000 Asiatic Cheetahs that helped him during his hunting expeditions. It is for this reason that these cats were also referred to as the 'hunting leopards' by the British in India. But the sad part is that these animals did not have the tendency of surviving well in captivity, which is why their numbers decreased drastically.
Conservation
Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP ) has been launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Department of Environment of Iran to preserve the population of Asiatic Cheetah left in Iran. Cheetah Friends is another group of young people who are trained to spread awareness amongst people about this beautiful animal. A program had been developed in Iran to train the herders who consider the cat a major threat to their livestock and often confused it with some other carnivore.

The story of the fall of this magnificent animal that once proudly roamed the land from the Arabian Peninsula to India, to being reduced to less than a hundred in number today, is a grim reminder of how human activities have led to large scale wildlife extinction. Having already been listed as a critically endangered species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals, there is an urgent need to address the rapid disappearance of this species from the face of the Earth.
Of late, Indian Government has decided to reintroduce the Cheetah's to the Indian sub-continent. Till date, it is one of the most ambitious and big budget wildlife conservation plan of Indian Government.

Cheetah famous as the fastest land animal, has vanished from the jungles of our country due to the rampant hunting by the rulers of the erstwhile royal era. It is believed that the last three Cheetah's available in India are killed by the Maharajah of Surguja in 1947.

The Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Mr. Jairam Ramesh has informed that a meeting of international experts is going to be held in September regarding the conservation of Cheetah. Rajasthan will be the venue for this significant meeting. The main objectives of the meeting will be to draw up a preliminary budget of millions of pounds, require to import Cheetahs from the wild of Africa continent. Also to make plans to build a "breeding nucleus" site from which the animals can be introduced to other areas of India.

Minister said that it is necessary to bring the Cheetahs from the other nations to repopulate them in India. Indian Government has decided to import the Cheetahs from Africa as the African Cheetahs chase their prey in semi-arid, partially forested grasslands similar to their Asian counter parts. It is believed that there are about 1200 Cheetahs available in the lush green canopies of Africa.

Moreover, Indian wildlife experts believes that the introduction of the African Cheetahs will provide better opportunity for husbandry in some areas of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Earlier Indian Government has decided to import a breeding pair of Cheetah from Iran but the fall of Iran's Shah has blocked India's hope of bringing them from Iran. Even the leaders of the Islamic Republic has refuse to provide a sample of tissue to use in a cloning experiment.

The Chairman of the Wildlife Trust Of India, Mr M.K. Ranjitsinh has said that India has abundant of suitable habitats for Cheetahs but are not taken care properly. Moreover he said that, the Cheetah could be an important symbol, a lever to help protect even rarer species in the same areas.

However, wildlife lovers are not at all satisfied with this plan of Indian Government due to the prior poor result of Tiger conservation in India. Due to the boundless hunting, Tigers population in India has reduced from 40, 000 a century ago to just 1, 400. Mr. Jairam Ramesh has admitted that despite the expensive emergency conservation plan which cost £93 million to protect the Tigers, India is speedily loosing its national animal.

Milind Pariwakam, a Tiger expert has said that one of the main reasons behind the loss of Tigers in India are the underpaid forest guards assigned to protect the Tigers. These forest guards are under-equipped and under-trained. This plight of Tigers in India has raised eyebrows on the plan of the Cheetah conservation in India. Wildlife lovers are seriously worried about the Cheetahs as these animals have a very weak immune system, high rates of cub mortality and demanding territorial habits.

However, the supporters of the Cheetah plan has put forward the example of the successful conservation of Asiatic lion in the Gir Forest in Gujarat. This last abode of Asiatic lions now has a population of around 350 lions. Cheetahs To Return to India's Grassland Under Multi-million plan.

After an anxious wait, cheetah reintroduction in India is finally underway with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) giving it the green signal on 28th July 2010. So, where do cheetahs live now? The Middle East, Namibia, Iran and South Africa are some of the countries that proudly boast of housing cheetahs. Thus, the highly ambitious USD 65 million plan of cheetah reintroduction in India involves sourcing of 18 North African cheetahs from these countries and relocating them to three sites in India. Cheetah population in India declined rapidly owing to excessive hunting in the mid-20th century. The Cheetah was last spotted in India in Chhattisgarh in 1967, and thus, the news of reintroduction of this wild cat has left the Indian wildlife enthusiasts overjoyed.

The three sites chosen for the reintroduction of the cheetah species include the Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, both of which are located in Madhya Pradesh, and the Shahgarh landscape in Rajasthan. Around 10 sites representing various landscapes were screened as possible cheetah habitats by a panel of experts from the Wildlife Institute of India (WTI) and the Wildlife Trust of India (WII). After detailed assessment of each of these sites, three sites were finalized for the ambitious plan of cheetah reintroduction in India. Among the various sites screened, the Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary, which was also the second largest site in the lot, had a definite edge as it has already undergone a significant deal of restoration work for the reintroduction of the Asiatic lions.

In their 28th July meet with the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Wildlife Trust of India and the Wildlife Institute of India submitted the feasibility report titled 'Assessing the Potential for Reintroducing the Cheetah in India', to the Environment Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh. On this eve, the honorable environment minister was quoted saying "The way tiger restores forest ecosystem, snow leopard restores mountain ecosystem, Gangetic dolphin restores waters in the rivers, the cheetah will restore grasslands of the country." The panel of experts also emphasized on the need for long-term commitment and proper allocation of resources from the central as well as the state governments.

The project will be carried out in phases over the next three years. Each of the three chosen sites will be required to shell out approximately USD 22 million each for restoration of the landscape. The fact that this wild animal has an important role to play in the grassland biome makes its reintroduction all the more important for a nation with progressively depleting forest cover. Over the last few years, the grasslands of India are declining rapidly and one of the main reasons for this is overgrazing by herbivores. Cheetah reintroduction initiative is expected to curb the incessant growth of herbivores in these regions, and help in restoring the grasslands ecosystem.

One of the best wildlife conservation measures, reintroduction of these large carnivorous species helps in conservation of endangered species and restoration of normalcy in the ecosystem. That being said, cheetah reintroduction in India seems to be the need of the hour to save the dwindling grassland cover in the subcontinent. Cheetah reintroduction efforts will not just help the wildlife flourish but will also play a crucial role in promoting ecotourism in these regions. And most important of all, this initiative will make India the only country to house six of the eight large cats of the family Felidae in kingdom Animalia.
Fact: The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a very fast sprinter. When chasing prey, it can top speeds over 60 miles an hour (97 km). This makes the cheetah the fastest land animal around! And what is the cheetah's top speed? The average top speed of cheetahs is about 64 miles an hour (102 km), and scientists feel this is also a good measurement of how fast a typical cheetah can run.
Fact: For such a swift cat, a cheetah's body is not very long (only about 4 ft/1 m). Even so, in just one bound it can travel 20 feet (6 m), by using its long legs and flexible spine. According to researchers, it's thought that the cheetah's flexible spine alone enables the animal to run an extra 6 miles an hour (9.6 km).
Source: Built for Speed: The Extraordinary, Enigmatic Cheetah.
Fact: Cheetahs belong to the Felidae family, and unlike lions, cannot roar. Cheetahs can purr, however, as well as hiss, growl, whine, and call to each other with chirping birdlike sounds.
Fact: On average, cheetahs chase their prey for about ten seconds. The shorter the chase the better, for all the dust and movement might attract the attention of lions and hyenas-- animals that might decide to take their kills from them.
Source: National Geographic, December 1999, Cheetahs—Ghosts of the Grasslands.
Fact: The famous "tear marks" at the corners of the eyes, are a dead giveaway that what you're looking at is a cheetah, and not a leopard. Cheetahs have solid black spots on a background of yellow or tan fur, and have 4 to 6 black rings at the end of its tail. A combination of spot patterns and ring patterns are a way for humans to identify one cheetah from another.
Fact: Just as athletes apply black grease under their eyes to cut down on the glare from brilliant lights, it is thought that the black markings running down the corners of the cheetah's eyes to its mouth might serve a similar purpose. Unlike lions and leopards, cheetahs hunt mostly during the day, when such antiglare aids would be most helpful.
Did you know? It's rare for cheetahs to climb trees. They can jump onto low hanging branches and fallen trees, but adult cheetahs are not good climbers.
Fact: Cheetahs hunt in a sequence of maneuvers known as "chase-trip-bite." After stalking its prey until it gets within a close range, the cheetah suddenly rushes its victim in a surprise attack. Using the only sharp claw on it's front paw-- the dewclaw-- the cheetah trips the animal, and then clamps down on the animal's throat until it suffocates. The chase over, the cheetah must rest and catch it's breath, all the while keeping an eye out for lions and hyenas, and then feast on its fresh kill.
Fact: Hunting is an acquired skill, and young cheetahs learn by watching their mother. In Kenya, at the Masai Mara game reserve, a mother cheetah was seen capturing a baby gazelle unharmed, and then taking it back to her cheetah cubs. When the baby gazelle tried to escape, the mother cheetah coaxed her cubs to chase it. When they failed, the mother brought the baby back to her cubs again and again, until her young began to learn how to hunt. The cubs must learn all they can from their mother, for after 18 months, they will be on their own.
Chetah

Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus and Species: Acinonyx jubatus

The world's fastest land mammal is vulnerable to extinction throughout its range.

Physical Description: Built more like greyhounds than typical cats, cheetahs are adapted for brief but intense bursts of speed. They have wiry bodies and small heads. Their coats are golden or yellowish, embellished with many small black spots, and their tails are long with a few black bands and sometimes a white tip. Black stripes run from their eyes down to the corners of their mouths.

Size: Cheetahs grow to between three and a half and four and a half feet long, not including their 30-inch tails. They weigh between 75 and 145 pounds and stand two to three feet tall at the shoulder. Males tend to be a bit more robust and weigh about ten pounds more than females.

Geographic Distribution: Cheetahs live in small, isolated populations mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. They are very rare in southern Algeria and northern Niger, and range from Senegal east to Somalia and south to northern South Africa. A few have been reported from Iran. However, many of their strongholds are in eastern and southern African parks.

Status: The cheetah is listed as vulnerable on the World Conservation Union's (IUCN's) Red List of Threatened Animals.

Habitat: Savannas, both open and more densely vegetated, give cheetahs the open areas they need for quick stalks and chases. They are not found in forest areas or wetlands.

Natural Diet: Cheetahs eat primarily hoofed mammals weighing less than 90 pounds, including gazelles and young wildebeest. They will also eat smaller game such as hares, warthogs, and birds.

National Zoo Diet: The Zoo's cheetahs eat ground horse meat and sometimes beef, rabbits, and chicks.

Reproduction: Cheetahs can breed at any time of year but tend to copulate in the dry season, with cubs being born at the onset of the wet season. Females reach breeding age by 21 or 22 months of age. Males live in small permanent groups called coalitions, which are usually made up of brothers. Males are drawn to females in heat, but only one male in a coalition usually mates with the selected female. On average, three cubs are born about three months after mating takes place. Until five or six weeks old, the cubs remain hidden; if she needs to move, the mother carries them from place to place. After five or six weeks, cubs follow their mothers and share her kills. Cheetah cubs wean at about three months old.

Life Span: In zoos, cheetahs may live up to 17 years; in the wild, they may live eight to ten years.

Behavior: Female cheetahs live alone, except when raising cubs. They rarely associate with other cheetahs, except when ready to mate. Males live in small permanent groups called coalitions, which are usually made up of two to four brothers. To avoid lions and leopards, cheetahs usually hunt in the middle of the day. Cheetahs stalk their prey, approaching to within about 50 feet before dashing out from cover and sprinting at the targeted animals. Cheetahs grab their victims' throats and suffocate their quarry within a few minutes. After securing their meal, they may drag it to nearby cover. Despite their best efforts to hide their catches, their kills are often stolen by larger predators and picked at by hordes of vultures. Lions and hyenas also eat cheetah cubs; lions and leopards also kill adults.

Past/Present/Future: Once widespread across arid Africa, into the Middle East and east to India, the cheetah has suffered dramatic declines over the last century. It now lives in Africa, and a few may survive in Iran. Hunted for their spotted coats and because they sometimes attack livestock, they disappeared from many areas. More recently, widespread habitat destruction has fragmented cheetah habitats, isolating many populations. In many areas, the cheetah's prey has been overhunted by people. Scientists have also found that many cheetahs suffer from genetic defects due to inbreeding, possibly the result of a population bottleneck—a sharp decline—that occurred perhaps as far back as 10,000 years ago. Among other things, inbreeding could raise cub mortality, lower cheetahs' resistance to disease, and cause infertility. An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 wild cheetahs survive. Cheetah strongholds, where possible, must be connected to allow genetic interchange if this species is to survive. Also, conflict between cheetahs and humans needs to be moderated. For example, in Namibia, ranchers may legally shoot cheetahs that prey on livestock.

A Few Cheetah Neighbors:

Thomson's gazelle (Gazella thomsonii): Within its range, this smallish, striped animal is a favored prey of the cheetah.

beisa oryx (Oryx gazella beisa): A large, long-horned antelope with black stripes on its flanks and face.

vulturine guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum): A bare-headed gamebird with dazzling black, blue, and white plumes.

By saving cheetah habitat, we protect these and many other animals.

Fun Facts:
A sprinting cheetah can reach 45 miles per hour within 2.5 seconds. Top speed—up to 64 miles per hour—can only be briefly sustained.

In the 16th century, emperors and other royalty hunted gazelles with trained cheetahs.


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Acinonyx jubatus
The cheetah is the world's fastest land mammal. With acceleration that would leave most automobiles in the dust, a cheetah can go from 0 to 60 miles (96 kilometers) an hour in only three seconds. These big cats are quite nimble at high speed and can make quick and sudden turns in pursuit of prey.

Before unleashing their speed, cheetahs use exceptionally keen eyesight to scan their grassland environment for signs of prey—especially antelope and hares. This big cat is a daylight hunter that benefits from stealthy movement and a distinctive spotted coat that allows it to blend easily into high, dry grasses.

When the moment is right a cheetah will sprint after its quarry and attempt to knock it down. Such chases cost the hunter a tremendous amount of energy and are usually over in less than a minute. If successful, the cheetah will often drag its kill to a shady hiding place to protect it from opportunistic animals that sometimes steal a kill before the cheetah can eat. Cheetahs need only drink once every three to four days.

Female cheetahs typically have a litter of three cubs and live with them for one and a half to two years. Young cubs spend their first year learning from their mother and practicing hunting techniques with playful games. Male cheetahs live alone or in small groups, often with their littermates.

Most wild cheetahs are found in eastern and southwestern Africa. Perhaps only 12,000 of these big cats remain, and those are under pressure as the wide-open grasslands they favor are disappearing at the hands of human settlers.
Fast Facts
Type:Mammal
Diet:Carnivore
Average life span in the wild:10 to 12 years
Size:3.5 to 4.5 ft (1.1 to 1.4 m); Tail, 25.5 to 31.5 in (65 to 80 cm)
Weight:77 to 143 lbs (35 to 65 kg)
Protection status:Vulnerable
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:
Cheetah Facts
Cheetahs are sleek, fast carnivores found in Africa. Of all the cheetah facts, the most important is the world's fastest land mammal is also one of its most endangered.

Cheetah Facts

Built more like greyhounds than typical cats, cheetahs are adapted for brief but intense bursts of speed. A sprinting cheetah can reach 45 miles per hour within 2.5 seconds. The top speed of this hot rod cat is an amazing 64 miles per hour. They have wiry bodies and small heads. Their coats are golden or yellowish, embellished with many small black spots, and their tails are long with a few black bands and sometimes a white tip. Black stripes run from their eyes down to the corners of their mouths.

Cheetahs grow to between three and a half and four and a half feet long, not including their 30-inch tails. They weigh between 75 and 145 pounds and stand two to three feet tall at the shoulder. Males tend to be a bit more robust and weigh about ten pounds more than females.
Cheetahs live in small, isolated populations mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. They are very rare in southern Algeria and northern Niger, and range from Senegal east to Somalia and south to northern South Africa. A few have been reported from Iran. However, many of their strongholds are in eastern and southern African parks. Savannas, both open and more densely vegetated, give cheetahs the open areas they need for quick stalks and chases. They are not found in forest areas or wetlands.

The cheetah is listed as endangered on the World Conservation Union's Red List of Threatened Animals. Put another way, they are one of the most endangered animals on the planet. An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 wild cheetahs survive throughout the world.

Cheetahs eat primarily hoofed mammals weighing less than 90 pounds, including gazelles and young wildebeest. They will also eat smaller game such as hares, warthogs, and birds.

Cheetahs can breed at any time of year but tend to mate in the dry season, with cubs being born at the onset of the wet season. Females reach breeding age by 21 or 22 months of age. Males live in small permanent groups called coalitions, which are usually made up of brothers. Males are drawn to females in heat, but only one male in a coalition usually mates with the selected female. On average, three cubs are born about three months after mating takes place. Until five or six weeks old, the cubs remain hidden; if she needs to move, the mother carries them from place to place. After five or six weeks, cubs follow their mothers and share her kills. Cheetah cubs wean at about three months old. Cheetahs will live 8 to 10 years in the wild.
Female cheetahs live alone, except when raising cubs. They rarely associate with other cheetahs, except when ready to mate. Males live in small permanent groups called coalitions, which are usually made up of two to four brothers.

To avoid lions and leopards, cheetahs usually hunt in the middle of the day. Cheetahs stalk their prey, approaching to within about 50 feet before dashing out from cover and sprinting at the targeted animals. Cheetahs grab their victims' throats and suffocate their quarry within a few minutes. After securing their meal, they may drag it to nearby cover. Despite their best efforts to hide their catches, their kills are often stolen by larger predators and picked at by hordes of vultures. Lions and hyenas also eat cheetah cubs; lions and leopards also kill adults.

Once widespread across arid Africa, into the Middle East and east to India, the cheetah has suffered dramatic declines over the last century. It now lives in Africa, and a few may survive in Iran. Hunted for their spotted coats and because they sometimes attack livestock, they disappeared from many areas. More recently, widespread habitat destruction has fragmented cheetah habitats, isolating many populations. In many areas, the cheetah's prey has been overhunted by people.

Scientists have also found that many cheetahs suffer from genetic defects due to inbreeding, possibly the result of a population bottleneck that occurred perhaps as far back as 10,000 years ago. Among other things, inbreeding could raise cub mortality, lower cheetahs' resistance to disease, and cause infertility.

A review of Cheetah facts reveal an animal on the cusp of extinction. Major efforts are being made to save the Cheetah, but the future doesn’t look particularly positive for this fast, beautiful animal.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 21.10.2010

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