It is a hot day in the savannah and a mother cheetah and her cubs are closely watching a gazelle.  They are planning an attack on one of the gazelle.  The mother sneaks up to her prey and takes off in a flash!  She runs immediately to a young baby gazelle, trips its feet and bites its neck.  The mother and her cubs must eat it quickly or they may lose their meal to the lions or other wild animals.  The cheetahs try to keep the other animals away from their kill but can only for a short amount of time.  Soon they will have to give their food up to the lions and other animals and will have to hunt again for another day's food.
     The fast land animals is beginning to die out.  It is time for us to think about ways we can assist this fantastic animal and given them a chance at survival.		 Picture of a mother cheetah and her babies lying in the grassy savannah is inserted into this space.
Why it's endangered
 
     The cheetah is in danger because it has the same niche as the lion.  The cheetah may be faster than the lion for a short amount of time, but the lion has greater endurance.  Also the lion has more strength than the cheetah.
     The cheetah is often chased away from its food.  The cheetah is also not a very successful hunter; it has successful hunts only one out of ten tries.  The cheetah isn't born knowing how		 to hunt; they must learn how to hunt.  Sometimes their lack of instincts makes them poor hunters.
     When the cheetah has its babies the cubs are blind and helpless for the first 11 days until their eyes are open.  If a lion or other animal finds the baby cub they may kill and eat it.  Therefore the lion is the cheetah's worst competition.  Only one out of three cheetahs survive to adulthood.

Picture of a cheetah proudly perched on a log in the grasses is inserted into this space.

 
 
 
 
 
 
What Can Be Done...

    Some ways that we can protect the cheetah are that we can make a reserve for them in their habitat.  If we could be able to do that we may prevent the cheetah from dying out.  Another way we could save the cheetah is to start and maintain a breeding program so that the cheetah cubs could be protected and live into adulthood and be able to breed more cheetahs.  These ideas and more may keep the cheetah from dying out.

Did you Know?

  • The Guiness Book of Records states that the cheetah is the fastest land mammal on earth.
  • It has a short mane on its neck, which is more developed on the male.
  • Cheetahs live in groups that sometimes exceed 40 in a group.
  • The cougar is in the genus "Cynailurur" which means, "dog cat".  This came from looking ar the paws, which are long and thin like those of a greyhound and have no retraction.
  • The teeth are typical of those of felines although the canine teeth have characteristics similar to those of dogs.
  • The cheetah has been clocked at 72 miles per hour.  It can reach it's top speed within three seconds.
  • The cheetah is one of the few big cats that purr.
  • The cheetah can cover over 33' in a single stride.
  • Its tail is used for keeping itself balanced.
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The Need for Speed...

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