What Predator Land Animal Can Outrun A Cheetah

About the Author

Sydney was a summer intern with AWF. She is entering her senior year of loftier school and has a passion for wildlife conservation. She hopes to ane day be a wildlife vet.

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I have to admit, I'm non commonly a large fan of cats. But, for any reason, I cannot assist but exist captivated by cheetahs. Perhaps it'southward their grace and agility or maybe information technology'due south only the face of a chetah cub, merely I think these cats are incredible.

Cheetahs are the world'south fastest country animal, capable of reaching speeds of upwardly to 70 mph. Standing at about 30 inches tall at the shoulder and weighing between 110 and 140 pounds, they accept long, graceful legs; a pocket-sized, rounded head on a long neck; a very flexible spine; a deep breast; special pads on their feet that help with traction; and a long tail that is used for residue at pinnacle speed. The chetah is also the only cat that cannot retract its claws, providing more traction. They also have distinctive black "tear tracks" that run from the corner of each eye to their mouth and provide anti-glare protection for daytime hunting.

In short, cheetahs are built for speed, grace, and hunting.

Cheetahs mainly casualty on small antelopes such as Thomson's gazelles and impalas, although they will likewise hunt pocket-size mammals and birds. When a chetah hunts, it gets as close as possible to its prey earlier trying to outrun it with a flare-up of speed. The cheetah then uses its hand to swipe the animal to the ground and so suffocates it with a bite to the cervix.

It then eats as quickly as possible while looking out for scavengers such as lions, leopards, hyenas, vultures, and jackals, who will steal from the very shy cheetah.

Unlike most other cats, cheetahs prefer to hunt during the twenty-four hours, particularly early on morning or early evening.

Nigh of the time, cheetahs are alone animals. On occasion, a male will hang out with a female later on mating, but other than that, the female person is either with her cubs or by herself.

Cubs spend a long fourth dimension with their mothers as they learn to hunt. Mom will bring a small, live antelope back to her cubs so they can chase and take hold of information technology.

Unfortunately, there is a very loftier cub bloodshed rate among cheetahs. Approximately 50-75% dice in the first three months of life because they are so susceptible to disease and predators such equally eagles, hyenas, and lions.

Cheetahs are currently classified every bit "vulnerable" by the IUCN. In 1900, an estimated 100,000 cheetahs could be constitute across Africa. Now, there are most 7,500 adults left in the wild; the population has decreased by well-nigh 30% but in the past xviii years.

The high cub mortality rate is only ane problem for cheetahs, though; they as well face a lot of man-wildlife conflict and habitat loss.

Over the years, the cheetah'due south habitat has shrunk dramatically, and information technology is now but 25% of its former size. Where they exercise live (more often than not Eastern and Southern Africa), they tend to exist institute widely but sparsely.

Cheetahs live where their prey is: the open plains. However, every bit the human populations grow and people aggrandize agriculture and culture into the grassland, more and more of the cheetahs' habitat is disappearing.

The other problem cheetahs are currently facing is human being-wild animals conflict. As people expand into the cheetahs' habitat, their usual prey is disappearing likewise, forcing them to prey on livestock. This causes farmers to view them as pests and kill them in retaliation.

To help combat these problems, AWF is working to appoint communities and minimize human-wildlife conflict.

By teaching communities that share infinite with cheetahs how to farm and expand sustainably and providing incentives for using the best practices, AWF is encouraging the people and animals are able to coexist peacefully. AWF is also helping to construct predator-proof bomas (livestock enclosures) to prevent the livestock from as much harm as possible. When cheetahs do kill livestock, farmers are given consolation funding and then that they tin supervene upon the dead animal without having to seek revenge confronting the cheetahs.

In addition, AWF is also working to ready aside land for conservation to ensure the cheetah will e'er accept a identify to alive. When the Satao Elerai Lodge was opened in Kenya, the local Maasai community who owns the lodge agreed to set aside the surrounding surface area for conservation, and now the business and the state is thriving.

Also in Kenya, AWF is working with landowners in the Amboseli region to set aside land to create a wildlife corridor between Amboseli National Park and Chyulu Hills and Tsavo West National Park. By paying landowners for each acre set bated for wildlife, AWF is making sure that animals can continue to apply their traditional routes without coming into harm's way.

By working with the people who live next with cheetahs, we tin help make certain these majestic creatures will be around for generations to come up.

All photos courtesy of Robyn Gianni

Source: https://www.awf.org/blog/cheetahs-worlds-fastest-land-animal

Posted by: taylorthenautist.blogspot.com

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