30th
August
2007
Cheetah Facts.
posted in Big Cats |
The cheetah is the world’s fastest land mammal, with a top speed of 70 mph.Cheetahs live in isolated populations, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.
The cheetah has been on the decline as a result of being hunted for its spotted fur, loss of habitat and killed for attacking livestock.
There are believed to be about 8,000 to 10,000 cheetahs in the wild. About 100 years ago, there were an estimated 100,000 cheetahs alive.In some regions, about 50 percent to 75 percent of cheetah cubs die before they are three months old.
The animals were once so abundant in India it is said that Akbar the Great kept a stable of 1,000 cheetahs.
Sources: National Zoo, African Wildlife Foundation
