How fast cheetahs can go

The film makes it to TV without any casualties on his side of the camera. But there are close calls on the other end, and they emphasize how vulnerable cheetahs are to lions, packs of hyenas and other predators. Naborr teaches her cubs that same lesson. All along, Poole knew he wanted the star of this film to be a fierce mama. Poole brightens as he recalls finding Naborr and just knowing that she would be the focus of the film. The documentary also shows how crestfallen Poole becomes when he loses sight of Naborr.

One moment the kid is there, then poof — gone! Like many creatures in the wild, cheetahs are superb at camouflage, and at one point Naborr appears to vanish.

Poole tracks down Naborr with her cubs, keeping a respectful distance. Among the intimate moments: Naborr swatting away a cub wanting to nurse.

The film engages viewers with the sensation of being there, racing along with the animals. As Naborr takes down an impala, Poole notes that she would outpace his car, even on the highway. When Naborr summons her cubs, though, all she emits is a small squeak. A full-throated roar would alert nearby enemies. So she quietly chirps for her offspring, constantly tilting her head, looking for them. Although the savannah is open, a cheetah must catch their prey within meters.

So, they must still use stealth. Dipping its neck with ruthless precision, a cheetah disappears below the grass line. The camouflage is magnificent. Even from a safari truck, you can hardly see the cat. Up ahead a herd of impala is grazing. Sentinels open their ears, scanning for danger.

You can sense the antelope are fearful, but nobody knows where the cheetah has gone. Ideally, the predatory cat will get close enough to pounce within a few strides. So it aims to reach its target within a few strides , where it can begin the chase. Nothing is happening. Then out of nowhere comes chaos. Dust rises. Hooves sound like a drum roll as the impala scatter. Accelerating to full speed, the cheetah runs, a blur of fur chasing a small impala. By changing direction, the impala hopes to negate its speed disadvantage.

However, many safari-goers experience the immediate aftermath of a hunt. Lions and leopards typically pounce onto their prey from behind, biting at the neck. Plus, jumping on the back of anything at kph is risky.

So instead, they trip their fast-moving prey. Every attempt to trip up the impala will cost the cheetah vital fractions of a second. It will only have one or two chances to make this crucial move.

When the impala hits the ground, the cheetah pounces. Exhausted and probably elated, the hunter has its quarry. Unless they can hide their kill immediately, it becomes vulnerable to scavengers and bigger cats. From a safari vehicle, you might watch a cheetah carrying its prey into the high grass.

Or even the resonant sound of teeth cracking into bone. Witnessing a cheetah running fast is a rare sight. Cheetah evolved on vast plains and open savannah across large parts of Africa and also Iran. These landscapes offer lots of open space, meaning there is always somewhere to run.

Over many millennia the cheetah has adapted to hunt on these arid, open landscapes. These animals typically graze in herds, on landscapes away from trees and hiding places. By sticking together, they can always scan for danger.

These animals trust their speed when running away from predators. Lions evolved with fearsome power and a group-based predatory instinct. Leopards have incredible strength and stealth, allowing them to hunt prey far larger than themselves.

Cheetahs have evolved to run fast , so they can chase and catch their choice of prey. Both these predators are secretive cats who will avoid confrontation. Leopards are more commonly found residing in trees, while cheetahs are usually seen in the grass.

But the fastest animal of all? Cheetahs need space to run so it makes no sense to have them at a zoo. These animals are born to run and have evolved exactly for that purpose. Unfortunately, in the not too distant future, it may only be possible to view cheetahs in zoos. After a few weeks, time yourself again and see how much you have improved! Have you ever seen a cheetah up close in the wild?

We hope not! If you have, you've probably had a more interesting race than you anticipated! To see some cheetahs from the comfort of your computer screen, check out these photos of cheetahs in the wild.

Aren't they beautiful? Would you like to see a cheetah at the zoo or in an animal sanctuary one day? Cheetahs are endangered and have trouble adapting to new environments. What causes species to become endangered? What can people do to help? Write a few sentences about what you learned. Then, ask a friend or family member to help you get the word out. Share what you wrote on social media and tag us wonderopolis!

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Luis Perez Mar 10, Hey thanks for showing the animals it adorble and fun to learn about. Cooper Jan 29, I know that Usain Bolt also set the Meter dash. Aaliyah Dec 20, Jan 3, Arianna Grande Apr 29, Apr 29, Iliana Oct 15, Humans are the fastest land animal due to our stamina. A cheetah can only maintain top speed for a few seconds, and then it requires a long session of rest. A human who can run at 6 miles per hour can do so for 10 minutes or more with a 2 minute rest.

So compare this to a cheetah who may maintain top speed for 12 seconds with a twenty minute rest. Over the course of an hour, the cheetah will go very short distances. Can anyone confirm these numbers? I'm pulling from memory, but I remember this being fun to research.

Bears as well. They are surprisingly speedy. Brooke Jan 9, Jan 11, Jackson Feb 22, Jay Emberson Jun 17, Humans are arguably the fastest land animal due to our stamina. Jun 18, Elizabeth Apr 5, Apr 9, Sara Was Here Mar 5, Mar 5, Desi lamb Mar 15, Mar 19, That is very fast!! Congratulations on first place, Desi! Desi lamb Mar 19, Mar 20, Oct 9, Handrl Mar 13, Ava Levine Apr 7, Apr 7, For real.

That's pretty darn fast! Thanks for checking out this Wonder with us! Ava Apr 4, Brody Apr 7, Apr 5, Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Great to hear from you again, Ava! Mar 14, I love cheetahs!!!! They are super fast!!!!! Jan 24, Rainbow Unicorn Jan 18, Jan 18, Cheetah Man Aug 24, Aug 24, We agree, Cheetah Man! They're really cool! Mar 29, Mar 31, We agree!

CheetahLover Jan 21, I love Cheetahs!!! I use the name "Cheetah" for every username I have!!!!! Jan 22, Adsur Jan 20, The part I found the most interesting was that cheetahs can run more than 70 miles per hour. Jan 21, Thanks for sharing what you learned, Adsur! That's very interesting!

Dec 8, David Wright Nov 22, We can not out run a cheetah Not even usain bolt can! Dec 3, Nov 23, Thank you for sharing what you learned, David! Michel Nov 4, Nov 5, Wonderopolis Jan 16, This wonder was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wonder is there a wonder on Tiger because they are so purrrrty!!!!!!!!!!!! Wonderopolis Nov 20, Danny Oct 7, I liked the video but have the Cheetah and a human ever raced? Wonderopolis Oct 8, Wonderopolis Sep 26, Wonderopolis Sep 8, Caitlin Jun 8, Hi Wonderopolis I'm having so much fun on Wonderopolis.

Have you actually tried to outrun a cheatah? If you haven't I think you should try to because that is a cool wonder to wonder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk to ya later! Wonderopolis Jun 9, Peggy Dodd Jun 8, I never knew a cheetah could run that fast. I wonder how fast a panther can run! Wonderopolis Jun 8, The video is not about a cheetah racing a human.

Can you please change the video? Thank you. Wonderopolis Dec 13, Graeme Maguire Dec 13, Do you have a video about the fastest animal on the planet? Wonderopolis Sep 10, Wonderopolis Sep 6, Maria Sep 6, The wonder was good it was just that the video was very boring do you have any video requests for me? I didn't like this video because the video doesn't show anything that gives it proof. Wonderopolis Jun 24, I love them! They are just amazing.

Wonderopolis May 10, Abanoub Mar 23, Wonderopolis Mar 23, William Beatty Feb 13, That cheetah was so fast, is was like lighting. It was awesome please put more and more cheetah videos, please. Wonderopolis Feb 13, Graham Dec 14, Dear Wonderopolis I like, Who's at the top of the food chain?

I like it because it is awesome. I like the part when the hunter kills the crocodile. I learned that humans are at the top of the food chain. It was a good video and really funny. Thanks for making learning fun. Your Wonder Friend, Graham P.

When it is my turn to pick a wonder category I am going to pick, Make Believe.