Cheetahs are built for speed, but they cannot outrun a poacher’s bullet. 90 percent of the cheetah population has disappeared from the wild over the last century, and conservation experts warn that cheetah populations continue to collapse in the wild, in large part due to poaching.
Status
Endangered
Population
Between 9,000 – 12,000
Weight
83 – 140 pounds
Length
70-86 inches
Habitats
Open grassland, savannah, semi-desert
With their slender body and long legs, cheetahs are recognized as the world’s fastest land animal. These spotted cats were once widespread in Asia and Africa, cheetah populations now only exist in the savannahs and grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa.
Remarkably, cheetahs are capable of sprinting up to 70 miles per hour for short distances. They use their speed to run down their prey, which consists primarily of gazelles, wildebeest, and other hoofed animals. Unlike other big cats, the smaller sized Cheetah does not roar.
Conservation experts warn that cheetah populations continue to collapse in the wild, in large part due to poaching. Since 1980, their population in the wild has fallen by about 90 percent in Africa. In Asia, only about 200 cheetahs remain in the wild, limited to small regions in Iran.
Photo by Art Wolfe (Right)
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