The cheetah is not just the fastest land animal on the planet; it is also one of the most graceful. Few moments out on the plains of Africa can match the thrill of a cheetah on the hunt – the tension as its gaze locks on its prey in the near distance, the astonishing acceleration, and the agility that becomes a blur in this high-speed battle to the death. There are far fewer cheetahs than there are lions and leopards in Africa; thus, finding them can require careful preparation. Following our guide should lead you right there.
Cheetahs: Built for Speed
The cheetah is a remarkable piece of natural engineering, equipped with a series of evolutionary adaptations perfectly suited to its fast-paced life. Cheetahs have the longest legs of any cat, enabling a stride of up to 10 meters, perfect for long chases over open ground. Their lower hind-leg bones are secured tightly together by fibrous tissue, which enables explosive acceleration, high-speed stability, and injury protection. Although their unretractable claws may impede tree climbing, they function similarly to sprinters’ spikes.
Everything about the cheetah is designed for speed and agility: hard and deeply ridged foot pads to assist in traction, pointed at the front to facilitate braking; a long, powerful tail for counterbalance and swift direction changes; and a long, flexible spine that arches to further lengthen its stride. The cheetah also has a small head and jaws, reducing weight, an enlarged nasal cavity for deep breaths, and an expansive chest cavity to accommodate its large lungs and heart.
Cheetahs are significantly smaller and lighter than leopards and lions, with the largest males being over four times the bulk of the biggest cheetah. An adult cheetah’s body typically ranges between 1 to 1.5 meters long, with tails that can add nearly another meter. Adults can weigh as little as 21 kg but not more than 64 kg. Cheetah cubs grow rapidly but are identifiable by their fluffy grey tuft of hair that runs along the backs of their necks.
A Solitary Cat
Cheetahs represent a unique blend of solitary and social behavior. Female cheetahs primarily live independently, except when raising their cubs, which depend on their mothers for 12 to 20 months. Unlike other big cats, female cheetahs are not territorial and traverse large home ranges.
Male cheetahs present a more complex scenario. While most form coalitions with other males, these groups are not always related. In terms of territoriality, some male cheetahs defend home ranges, while others, particularly in coalitions, can traverse vast distances.
The Hunter
Cheetahs in Africa primarily prey on impala and gazelles (including Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles) and have even been known to bring down nyala, which can weigh twice as much as an adult cheetah. They also target young wildebeest and zebra. In Iran, their diet includes ibex and wild sheep.
Unique among big cats, cheetahs predominantly hunt during the day. This behavior is inspired by their need for a long line of sight to spot prey and helps them avoid nocturnal predators, including lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas, which often threaten their kills. Cheetahs approach their prey within around 50 meters before launching a high-speed chase that can reach up to 105 km/h (approximately 65 miles per hour). Although they cannot maintain such speeds for long, the chase can extend for half a kilometer. Less than a third of these hunts are successful. If a hunt fails, cheetahs can decelerate faster than any other land mammal, slowing from 58 km/h to 14 km/h in just three strides.
The Lands Cheetahs Roam
A cheetah’s natural terrain includes open grassland, although they thrive in a combination of open savannah and woodlands.
Cheetahs originally inhabited vast areas of Africa, with rare presence in small portions of North and Central Africa, as well as the Middle East and Indian subcontinent. Currently, they are restricted to small, fragmented populations; 79% of cheetahs live in groups of less than 100 individuals.
The largest cheetah populations are found in Southern Africa, with viable groups also present in East Africa. Remarkably, small populations exist in the Sahara Desert (in southern Algeria and northern Niger) and in the deserts of central Iran, although it is unlikely either has more than 50 to 100 cheetahs.
The Best Places to See Cheetahs
Botswana: Botswana is excellent for spotting cheetahs, particularly in the Okavango Delta (including Moremi Game Reserve) and the country’s Kalahari parks, including the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR).
Kenya: The Masai Mara National Reserve and surrounding community-run conservancies in southwestern Kenya host fantastic cheetah habitats. Additionally, the open country of Tsavo East and Amboseli national parks offer excellent opportunities for sightings.
Namibia: In Namibia, visit Etosha National Park and private reserves like Okonjima and Erindi for the best chances to see cheetahs.
South Africa: Kruger National Park is renowned as South Africa’s premier destination for seeing cheetahs. Consider also Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (shared with Botswana) and the private reserves in Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Tanzania: The Serengeti offers spectacular cheetah habitat and is famous as one of the best places to witness cheetahs in Africa. Also consider Tarangire and Ruaha national parks.
Zambia: For cheetah sightings, Kafue National Park is excellent, along with South Luangwa and Liuwa Plain national parks.
Zimbabwe: A 2016 study revealed that Zimbabwe’s cheetah population plummeted from 1200 to just 170 animals in a mere 16 years. Your best chance of seeing them is in Hwange National Park, although they remain elusive there.
Cheetahs in Peril?
A landmark study in 2016 found that just 7100 cheetahs remain in the wild. Between two-thirds and half of these live in Southern Africa, the last stronghold for cheetahs. Namibia boasts the largest population globally. However, cheetahs face immense persecution, especially in Namibia, where diminishing habitats and human encroachment have led to increasing conflict with farmers. Alarmingly, over three-quarters of Africa’s wild cheetahs reside outside protected areas.
One significant challenge for cheetahs is the smuggling of cubs out of Africa for sale as exotic pets—baby cheetahs can fetch up to US$10,000 on the black market. Over the past decade, more than 1200 cubs have been trafficked off the continent, with 85% succumbing during transit.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorizes the cheetah as Vulnerable.
