After extensive research, we have outlined some interesting facts about cheetahs as an effort to create awareness in saving these helpless creatures.
One of the earliest and one-of-a-kind big cats in Africa after Lions & Leopards is Cheetahs.
From South Africa to India, they have historically been discovered.
Today, the population of cheetahs has decreased by 90% and is extinct in 30 of their former habitats.
In Namibia, we discover the highest cheetah population, home to 1/3 of the complete cheetah inhabitants remaining on the earth!
The greatest threat to them is habitat loss and prey scarcity.
Following are some 10 informational facts about cheetahs:
10.Cheetahs are extremely attracted to Calvin Klein perfume
Zookeepers spray spirit perfumes on rocks or trees to keep caged animals entertained from their boring depressing jails.
But one Zookeeper discovered that Calvin Klein’s obsession for men is absolutely loved by the cheetahs.
But these Cheetahs in New York don’t put perfume behind their ears-they just enjoy rubbing them against sprayed tree stumps, especially the female ones.
9.A rare mutation can give a cheetah a title of king
King Cheetahs are primarily found in Africa and are extremely rare.
The King’s Cheetahs has spots and sprits different from the normal ones, formed by a single genetic mutation that creates the wavy shape of fur.
Larger than the typical cheetah, it has large marks from the neck to the tail.
Most accounts say that the king’s Cheetahs was seen six times only in the savannah. Six times! Six times! Over the past 100 years, and that’s throughout Africa!
People in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa have recognized them.
Back in the Kruger National Park, 1986, the last verified wild occurrence & that’s over thirty years back!
But such an unbelievable fur coat is a prime concern for any hunter, which also makes them vulnerable.
8.Cheetahs have completely different hunting style
This is perhaps the most interesting facts about cheetahs that unlike their other cat cousins (almost all).
Cheetahs rarely stalk their prey to pounce. They sneak up and chase their prey for roughly 20 to 30 seconds.
Their strong, non-retractable teeth are used to kill the hunt and to slay them suffocating grip in the throat (other big cats just tear them apart).
Once they are successful, they must be sure to eat it quickly as the scavengers are always lurking around as Jackals, vultures, leopards, lions, and hyenas mostly snatch their killings.
Due to strength difference cheetahs rarely defend their food against other predators.
7. At full sprint, a cheetah spends more time flying than in contact with the ground.
Due to the cheetahs running style it appears as if it’s in the air just contacting the ground to push them further.
At full speed their one-step can be as long as 21 feet.
6. Cheetahs can only run for ~30 seconds before their brain overheats and shuts down
Cheetah’s hunting entirely depends on their vision. They often climb termite hills to clearly in their field of sight.
The black’ teardrop’ spots under their eyes help decrease the brightness of the sun.
While hunting within In a minute, their brain heats dangerously and the cheetah must capture its prey.
Gazelle, springbok, and impala are some of their preys.
In a single sitting, a cheetah can eat up to 15 kg of meat (30 lbs). Once it has filled itself, it can sustain for several days.
5. Cheetahs cannot roar
A fact about cheetahs is that these cats cannot roar, as do other big cats like Lions, Leopards, and Tigers.
But these animals are still noisy, and they like to interact.
They often create sounds such as cats and dogs, purr and bark, and sometimes even use a noise like chirps of a bird!
Actually, this chirping sound is not only used for contacting each other, and sometimes these crafty creatures imitate birds to bring them closer.
The poor bird will not realize what killed him; The cheetah will enjoy an easy snack.
4. Word Cheetah has a meaning
The word “Cheetah” originates from the ancient Sanskrit term “Chita,” meaning “spotted, drawn or marked.” It emerges from the Sanskrit term “Chita”
It derives the vernacular name from cītā, which comes from the Sanskrit word citra.
3. Cheetahs cannot climb trees.
Cheetahs are not as fitted for climbing trees as leopards, but can still handle small heights in some rare case (like finding potential hunts).
Between big cats, the leopards are the finest climbers to climb up and navigate from the base of a tree.
Even Lions and Tigers can climb a tree with some initial struggle.
These animals are actually diurnal and prefer to hunt early morning and late afternoon.
2.Designed for pure speed
This is most well known & common facts about cheetah that it is fastest animal in the world. How fast? Well, in just three seconds, they can go from 0 to 112 kph!
Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man, can get only 44 kph so, winning an Olympic gold medal for a cheetah is like a walk in a park.
They are also the only big cat who can change direction sharply at full speed in the mid-sprint as they use their tail to counter their body momentum.
However, they can’t hold on for long, and they get very easily exhausted. Fortunately, they usually catch their prey in almost a minute.
1.Asian cheetahs are almost extinct
In the eastern-central arid region of Iran, the Asian cheetah is living in protected areas where the density of humans is very low.
Only 84 cheetahs were observed in 14 areas of protection between December 2011 and November 2013, and they recognized 82 individuals from camera trap pictures.
As from December 2017, in three subpopulations, fewer than 50 cheetahs remained spread over 140,000 sq. km on the central plateau of Iran.
The Asian cheetah diverged between 32,000 and 67,000 years ago from its African cousins.
During the British colonial periods in India, Cheetahs were named hunting leopards, the name derived from the names that Indian monarchs held cheetahs captive to hunt wild antelopes in large numbers.
The Maharaja of Surguja an Indian king holds a bad record of shooting at least 1360 tigers & has shot the last 3 remaining Indian cheetahs, the only animal in record history to have extinct from India because of unnatural reasons.
I hope you enjoyed this post about the 10 most interesting facts about cheetahs.
If we really want to show these animals for kids & coming future generations, we need solutions for their conservation, not just attempts.
The first thing we need to do is create awareness among general masses & various global conservation organizations.
Please share this post on social media as a small attempt to save these helpless beautiful creatures.
