Field guide · rare
Cheetah
The spotted speedster — the fastest land animal on Earth, built for a sprint that lasts seconds, not minutes.
Vulnerable
Overview
The cheetah is evolution's racing car: lightweight, long-legged, and capable of accelerating from zero to 100 km/h in about three seconds. Black tear marks streak from its eyes, its spine flexes like a spring during a chase, and semi-retractable claws grip the ground like track spikes.
Cheetahs hunt by sight in open grassland, stalking to within sprint range before exploding after gazelles and impala. Most chases fail, and kills are often stolen by lions and hyenas — cheetahs rarely fight back.
Habitat
Open savanna and grassland with good visibility suit cheetahs across East and southern Africa. Kenya's Masai Mara and conservancies like Ol Pejeta offer some of the best cheetah viewing on the continent.
Countries found
Interesting facts
- 01
Cheetahs are the fastest land animals — 0 to 100 km/h in about 3 seconds.
- 02
Each cheetah's spot pattern is unique, like a fingerprint.
- 03
They cannot roar — they chirp, purr, and hiss like large cats.
Conservation status
Cheetahs are Vulnerable, with fewer than 7,000 adults remaining. Habitat loss, conflict with farmers, and low genetic diversity threaten the species across Africa.
Keep exploring
Where it lives
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Catch the Cheetah
Spot one in the wild — then scan it in Catch'Um to log your rare discovery.