The cheetah is well-known as the fastest animal on earth. This amazing animal can reach a top speed of seventy miles per hour in just three seconds! At top speed, their stride spans twenty-one feet.
The cheetah is a big, slender cat with long legs. Its short fur is yellowish-tan and covered in thousands of black spots. Most cheetahs have between two thousand and three thousand spots, which helps to camouflage themselves.
The animal’s name comes from the Hindi word, “chita,” which means “spotted one.” These big cats weigh anywhere from forty-six to one hundred and fifty-eight pounds.
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Cheetahs live on the open grasslands of Sub-Sahara Africa. They are carnivores that feast mainly on small antelopes and wildebeest calves.
Cheetahs sometimes eat smaller animals, such as rabbits and birds. Female cheetahs live by themselves. Male cheetahs, on the other hand, live with a small group of brothers called coalitions.
Cheetahs are the most endangered big cat in Africa. As of 2020, scientists believe less than eight thousand cheetahs are living in the wild. This is a fifty percent decline in the last four decades. In the past, cheetahs were hunted for their fur.
Today, one of their biggest threats is the loss of habitat due to increased human settlements and road construction. Some cheetahs are not able to reproduce, which threatens their survival even more.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Many zoos and wildlife conservation groups hold special events on this day that highlight the cheetah.
If your local zoo has a cheetah exhibition, this is a great day to check it out. Other ways to participate include:
• Donate to the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF.)
• Learn more about cheetahs and why they are endangered.
• Check out children’s books about cheetahs and read them with your kids.
Post your favorite photo or video of a cheetah on social media with #InternationalCheetahDay or #SaveTheCheetah.
HISTORY
In 1991, American zoologist Dr. Laurie Marker founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund.
As executive director of the CCF, she helps rehabilitate cheetahs and reintroduce them to the wild.
Before her work with CCF, Marker's career began at the Wildlife Safari in the United States, where she also worked with captive cheetahs.
In 2010, she designated December 4 as International Cheetah Day. She chose December 4 as it was the birthday of a cheetah named Khayam.
Dr. Marker had trained this cheetah for her first research project on teaching captive-born cheetahs to hunt. When she reintroduced Khayam to the wild, she realized how endangered the cheetahs were becoming.
“We always think there is someone else who will do something, that ‘they’ will take care of it. I realized early in my work that there is no ‘they,’ and so I decided that I would take action to save the cheetah from extinction.” ~Dr. Laurie Marker
Dr. Marker says that Khayam “showed her the vision and gave her the path” to help save her wild brethren. International Cheetah Day is now celebrated every year on December 4 to honor Khayam.
Today, CCF has developed into a world class research, education and conservation centre set on a private wildlife reserve.
CCF’s open-to-the-public facilities include a Model Farm, the Dancing Goat Creamery, Cheetah Museum, The Life Technologies Conservation Genetics Laboratory, and The Haas Family Veterinary Clinic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYaCnddNFwM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiFXar6wbdU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aew2okRVGl8
#InternationalCheetahDay
#SaveTheCheetah
@CCFcheetah
@WWF
@natgeo
@SmithsonianGlobal
@Cheetos
@nichecinema
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