The cheetah is the fastest land animal and can sprint up to 70mph over short distances. The cheetah is one of the only cats to hunt during the day and it has black tear marks underneath the eyes which are believed to be an adaptation to prevent glare during hunts. The cheetah expends so much energy while hunting that it must rest before consuming its prey. This results in a large percentage of the cheetah's prey being lost to other predators.
The cheetah is classified as among the most endangered species in the world and is listed in Appendix I of the CITES agreement. Because of its low genetic diversity, many cheetah cubs are lost to disease within the first three months of life. Many more are lost to predators. It is thought that only one in twenty cheetah cubs survives to adulthood. The Serengeti Cheetah Project is one of the longest ongoing studies of cheetahs in the world and you can read more about cheetah conservation at the Serengeti Visitor Center.
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