General Interesting Facts

Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) originate from a puma ancestor and date back approximately 4.9 million years

Cheetahs are the fastest land mammals in the world, reaching speeds of up to 120 km per hour. The adaptation of a small head, long legs and a light frame enable them to run at such speeds, however, they are unable to maintain this speed for more than about 400-500 metres

They are solitary animals, although coalitions of males, and a female with her cubs are sometimes found

They are often confused with leopards as they are the only other large spotted cat, but differ in many significant ways, such as build, hunting technique and time, habitat, prey species, vocalisations, and appearance

Cheetahs are not aggressive, preferring to flee rather than fight when faced with confrontation with other large predators. Consequently they lose a significant percentage of their kills to other predators such as lions, leopards, hyenas and even vultures. They are also the only predator that has not been known to attack humans in the wild

FAQ's

What is the average life expectancy of a cheetah?
In the wild, cheetahs only live on average, between 4 and 7 years old. This is due to the many pressures facing them, such as competition from other predators, threats from humans, and disease and injury affecting their ability to hunt. In captivity cheetahs can live to around 15 year of age.

Why are cheetahs endangered?
Cheetahs are endangered for a number of reasons, visit our cheetah information page for a detailed explanation.

What do you do with old cheetahs?
Once our cheetahs have reached an age where they are no longer able to breed, we retire them. This means they are able to live out the rest of their life in comfort at the Dell Cheetah Centre.

Why do you remove the cubs from their mother?
We remove the cubs at 24 hours of age. This is to ensure they get the colustrum from their mother, but they do not start suckling properly. This prevents them bonding too much, which would make the separation far more difficult.

We remove the cubs because the mothers have been born and raised in captivity and therefore are not proficient hunters. If the cubs are left with the mother they will be wary and scared of humans, making working with them difficult and stressful for the cheetahs, and the mother will not be able to teach the cubs to hunt, so they can never be returned to the wild.

By hand-raising the cubs we are able to ensure they are happy and comfortable around humans, which is important if they are going to be fed and worked with in zoos or other programmes. It also means we are able to use some of them as Ambassador cats for the species, so that people, like you, can come and meet the cheetahs and learn more about them. We can also teach hand-raised cheetahs to hunt, using a lure system, and eventually progress to live prey.

Quick Facts

• For every 4 cheetahs that are taken from the wild, 3 will die of stress-related diseases
• Cheetah cubs in the wild have a 90% mortality rate
• The cheetah is the fastest land mammal and can reach speeds of 120kph
• A cheetah can turn a 90-degree angle at 80kph
• The cheetah is the only big cat that can purr
• The cheetah is the only big cat that can overtake an antelope

• Their Endangered Status
• Their Adaptions to Speed
• Their Diet & Hunting Techniques

Are you interested in volunteering at the Dell Cheetah Centre and helping us save the cheetah?

Our volunteer programme is designed to introduce you to the fascinating wildlife African has to offer as well as the incredible cheetah, and to work closely in all aspects of reserve management.

Find out how you can help >>