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Cheetahs in a Hot Spot
Introduction

The cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal.

The cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal. As the world’s fastest land animal, cheetahs are the odds-on favorite in almost any footrace. After all, they can accelerate to freeway speeds in just a step or two. But in the dry scrublands of southern Africa, the fast felines are falling behind in the most important contest they’ve ever entered: the race for survival.

Luckily, as NATURE’s Cheetahs in a Hot Spot shows, people are stepping in to make sure that these exceptional cats survive to reach the finish line. And along the way, cheetah lovers are coming to understand these athletic sprinters better than ever before.

Cheetahs in a Hot Spot takes viewers to Namibia, one of the world’s richest cheetah habitats, for a remarkable look at these graceful hunters. It follows six gangly young cheetahs as they come of age in the desert wilderness of Etosha National Park, where they learn the essential hunting and social skills that will enable them to rear families of their own. But the documentary also captures the sobering challenges that other cheetahs face on nearby livestock ranches, where farmers routinely trap and kill the cats to reduce attacks on their herds. And the NATURE special profiles the courageous work of cheetah rescuer Lise Hanssen, who is creating alternatives to the deadly rivalry between rancher and predator.

While best known as a fleet runner able to sprint short distances at up to 60 miles per hour, it was the cheetah’s elegant spotted coat that caught the eye of ancient civilizations. Indeed, “cheetah” means “spotted one” in the Hindi language. But while many people think of cheetahs as being close relatives of the other bigs cats, such as lions and tigers, they are actually quite different.

Cheetahs evolved earlier than other large cats.

One difference is that cheetahs evolved much earlier than other large cats, arising from a cat-like mammal that lived about 4 million years ago. As a result, their bodies are different from lions, tigers, and other great cats in many ways. Cheetah claws, for instance, don’t retract like a house cat’s, in part because the cheetah needs the extra traction during high-speed sprints. Similarly, cheetahs don’t growl. They hiss or give a bird-like chirp instead, because they lack the vocal anatomy to roar.

Most importantly, cheetah bodies are uniquely built for speed. Their small heads offer little wind resistance, while their exceptionally long legs allow them to take huge strides. During sprints, the cheetah spine acts like a giant spring, storing energy that can be released in explosive surges. And the cheetah’s enlarged heart, lungs, and liver help deliver bursts of oxygen and energy, while specially ridged foot pads help provide traction, much like a car’s tire. Such adaptations “make cheetahs the elite race cars of the animal world,” says Don Person, a Dutch biologist who has studied cheetahs in East Africa. “They are speed demons.”

Cheetahs also have a distinct family life. Mothers typically have from one to six cubs, which are born blind and toothless. By five weeks old, however, their eyes are open and the young cats have developed a taste for fresh meat. But the cubs won’t start hunting on their own until they are nearly two years old, when their mother leaves them. Once on their own, brothers and sisters will go their separate ways. Females live relatively solitary lives, seeking out territories in which they raise their own families. Males, in contrast, sometimes hang together, with brothers forging alliances for hunting and attracting mates. “Working together, male groups can bring down bigger prey and increase the odds of having an offspring that carries on their line,” notes Person. “In contrast, females alone carry the burden of raising and feeding their young.”

Not surprisingly, a cheetah’s life in the fast lane is relatively short. Most wild cheetahs live less than 10 years, and many cubs never make it to adulthood, killed by disease, starvation, or attack by lions and hyenas. In captivity, however, they often reach a dozen years old or more. “It’s not an easy life,” says Person. “A foot injury that might just slow a human runner,” for instance, “might be the beginning of the end for a cheetah. They literally depend on their legs for survival.”

To order a copy of Cheetahs in a Hot Spot, please visit the NATURE Shop.
Online content for Cheetahs in a Hot Spot was originally posted February 2000.

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46 responses
jan -- November 11th, 2008 at 12:43 am

I recently saw a wonderful pbs program on cheetahs about little Toki and his sister. Wanted to check your website for an update as suggested.
Any thoughts??
Thankyou – your programming is appreciated….
Sincerely,
Jan Mallory

Kassidy -- November 12th, 2008 at 11:11 pm

I luv cheetahs they are such fasenating creatures!!

CRYSTAL -- November 16th, 2008 at 6:36 pm

CHEETAHS ARE SO PRETTY N SMART
I LOVE CHEETAHS CUZ THEY RUN FAST
N I LOVE RUNNING MA SELF

priyank -- November 18th, 2008 at 1:33 pm

There sould be more photos

amber -- November 19th, 2008 at 3:04 pm

cheetahs are beautiful animals.

amber -- November 19th, 2008 at 3:10 pm

I absuloutly love cheetahs and other big and small cats.

gabby -- November 19th, 2008 at 4:09 pm

i love dem cheetahs:) eva since i was a little girl they were my favorite animal….and its sad how they are endangered cuz 1 day i want my kids 2 see how beautiful creatures these animals are!!!!!

pink mama -- November 22nd, 2008 at 9:43 am

you guys are wrong there so dark n’ dusty eww

Kassidy -- December 4th, 2008 at 8:24 pm

I am doing a report, how many people who be upset and mad if cheetahs become extinct??

Laura -- December 5th, 2008 at 9:20 am

great article! i love the pictures of cheetahs! they’re so cute!

Tahshelle -- December 10th, 2008 at 3:10 pm

Those cheetahs are HOT! they are so adorable.

Chris barks -- December 15th, 2008 at 9:57 am

I think that the cheetah is a cool cat.

Neo Barks -- December 15th, 2008 at 10:03 am

Ilove the cheetah cubs they are so cute and cdely

regan -- December 16th, 2008 at 11:13 am

they are so beautiful and fast and cool they are my favoritest animal EVER!!!

gage -- January 9th, 2009 at 10:50 am

they are the coolest animal ever they are buitiful

fernando -- January 9th, 2009 at 11:52 am

OMG they are so hot……

Harry -- January 21st, 2009 at 3:57 pm

those cheetahs are so cute with their little spots all over!!!!

nun -- January 22nd, 2009 at 8:32 am

omg l so lllllllllooooooooovvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeee them

isabella glazer -- February 6th, 2009 at 11:18 am

I just love them so much. I want one so bad.

brittany -- February 13th, 2009 at 4:03 pm

I Love cheetahs they r so cute and they live in a good wilderness and they r so cuttley i think thank u.

nathan e -- February 13th, 2009 at 4:40 pm

cheetahs are the best in the world i say but all cats are cool.

Sophia -- February 23rd, 2009 at 10:49 am

That’s awsome!!:} Istuded about it.!

carlos -- March 1st, 2009 at 5:19 pm

i really love cheetahs because that’s my favorite big cat cheetahs rock

isabella glazer -- March 3rd, 2009 at 7:15 pm

ILOVE LOVE LOVE THE THEM. CHEETAH HATERS ARE SO MAEAN TO THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mira -- March 4th, 2009 at 10:03 pm

I love cheetahs just from this article.

cheetah girl!!! -- March 22nd, 2009 at 2:31 pm

I LOVE CHEETAHS SO MUCH !!!!!!!!!!!THERE SO SO COOO AND CUTE I LOVE THEM EVER SINCE I WAS BORN !!!!!!!! ICHEETAH HATERS I WANT TO KILL THEM !!!!! thank you for making this article

cheetah girl -- March 22nd, 2009 at 2:34 pm

ooops sorry about that typo in my first comment i meant to say I LOVE CHEETAHS SO MUCH MORE THAN THE WORLD !!!! THERE SO COOL SO FAST SO CUTE AND SO STRONG I LOVED THEM SINCE I WAS BORN I WISH I WAS A CHEETAH THX FOR MAKING THIS ARTICLE

cheetah lover -- March 23rd, 2009 at 8:30 am

CHEETAH ARE SO CUTE!!!!!!!!! IVE LOVED CHEETAHS EVER SCINCE I WAS BORN!!!!!!THEY ARE CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jamee -- March 28th, 2009 at 11:19 am

what are cheetahenamy.

mikala swords -- April 4th, 2009 at 11:09 am

i love cheetahs this is the best cheetah web sit

ms

isabella glaezr -- April 13th, 2009 at 11:00 am

I just did a project a cheetahs,but I had the info all mixed up. :) :) :)

nana -- April 16th, 2009 at 2:26 pm

the king cheetah is so cute it look like coyote

coolcool -- April 20th, 2009 at 9:06 am

I LOVE CHEETAHS. THEY ARE SO COOL

baby love -- April 25th, 2009 at 3:13 pm

cheetahs Are REal KoOL!!!

Cheetah Sistah! -- May 1st, 2009 at 9:48 am

Cheetahs are weird ugly and dangerous! they could kill you

cheetah lova -- May 4th, 2009 at 6:47 pm

im doin a research project on animals and i just HAD 2 do cheetahs cus the are so freaking cute!!!!

cheetah girl -- May 6th, 2009 at 11:52 am

people don`t now much about cheetahs and this is agreat artical to show them.also try to save these cheetas,their cute and AMAZING .I LOVE CHEETAS

cheetah girl 97 -- May 13th, 2009 at 9:53 am

cheetahs are ssssoooo cute i wish i was 1

samirah -- June 1st, 2009 at 3:16 pm

whay are cheetahs carnivors

Cheetah Boy -- June 4th, 2009 at 2:20 pm

I like them because they are very agile and skilled hunters. If we could domesticate them we could have them for pets that would be rad!

amber -- July 9th, 2009 at 7:46 pm

i just love cheetahs cuase they r so fast like myself .cheetahs r my favorite animals 2.i know i am the gigest cheetah fan

bookman -- July 24th, 2009 at 6:17 am

this website is good but where is the date that posted that time?im doing a research on this.

megan cary -- September 20th, 2009 at 5:37 pm

i love cheetahs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they r so cool!!!!!!

cheetah lover -- October 12th, 2009 at 10:55 am

cheetahs are sooo cool i love them i wunt to be one of them i wish! and cats i love them too tanks for doing this article it made my day :)

diljot atwal -- October 12th, 2009 at 7:06 pm

i thought lions and tigers were the worlds fastest animal put since i did my sience project about a cheetah then i found out that the cheetah is the worlds fastest animal

jesse hedrick jr -- November 2nd, 2009 at 2:25 pm

i love cheetahs caus they run fast and so do i i like to run

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