# Cheetah — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Acinonyx jubatus*

> The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the fastest land animal, reaching roughly 100-120 km/h (about 60-75 mph) in short bursts, and is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with the Asiatic cheetah in Iran listed as Critically Endangered.

**IUCN status:** Vulnerable  ·  **WARN range:** Kenya, Tanzania, Iran

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Lifespan | About 10-12 years in the wild |
| Weight | 21-65 kg (46-143 lb) |
| Size | Head and body 1.1-1.5 m (3.7-4.9 ft) |
| Diet | Carnivore (gazelles, impala, springbok, hares) |
| Gestation | About 3 months |
| Young | Usually 3-4 cubs per litter |
| Baby name | Cub |
| Group name | Coalition (males) |
| Top speed | ~100-120 km/h (about 60-75 mph) in short bursts |
| CITES | Appendix I |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Carnivora
- **Family:** Felidae
- **Genus:** Acinonyx
- **Species:** Acinonyx jubatus

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Vulnerable
- **Population:** Approximately 6,500 mature individuals
- **Trend:** Decreasing
- **Assessed:** 2021 (published 2022)
- **CITES:** Appendix I
- The Asiatic cheetah subspecies (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), restricted to Iran, is Critically Endangered with fewer than 50 individuals estimated to remain.

## Key facts: Cheetah
- The cheetah is the fastest land animal, sprinting at roughly 100-120 km/h (about 60-75 mph) in short bursts of a few hundred metres.
- It is built for speed: a lightweight body, long legs, a flexible spine, semi-retractable claws for grip, and a long tail that acts as a rudder.
- Globally the cheetah is listed as Vulnerable, with around 6,500 mature individuals estimated in the wild.
- The Asiatic cheetah survives only in Iran, where fewer than 50 are thought to remain, making it Critically Endangered.
- Main threats include habitat loss, conflict with farmers, loss of prey, illegal cub trafficking, and high cub mortality.
- Cheetahs are listed on CITES Appendix I, the highest level of international trade protection.

## How fast is a cheetah and how does it hunt?
The cheetah is the fastest land animal, capable of roughly 100-120 km/h (about 60-75 mph) in short bursts, with the highest reliably recorded speed around 104 km/h (65 mph). It can accelerate from a standstill to top speed in just a few seconds, but sustains a full sprint only for a few hundred metres before overheating. Everything about its anatomy serves the chase: a small head, deep chest, long thin legs, an extremely flexible spine that lengthens each stride, blunt semi-retractable claws that grip like running spikes, and a long tail used as a counterbalance for sharp turns. Cheetahs hunt by day, relying on eyesight to spot prey, then stalk close before unleashing a high-speed dash and tripping the animal with a swipe of the paw.

## What does a cheetah eat and how does it live?
Cheetahs are carnivores that target small to medium ungulates, typically prey weighing 20-60 kg such as gazelles, impala, and springbok, along with hares and the young of larger species. Because they are lighter than lions and leopards, cheetahs often lose their kills to these stronger competitors and to hyenas, so they eat quickly after a hunt. Females are largely solitary and raise cubs alone, while males sometimes form small bonded groups called coalitions, often brothers, that defend a territory together. Cubs are born blind and helpless after a gestation of about three months, with litters commonly of three to four, though cub mortality in the wild is very high.

## Why is the cheetah endangered?
The cheetah has disappeared from the great majority of its historic range and now occupies only a fraction of it. The IUCN lists the species as Vulnerable, with the global population estimated at around 6,500 mature individuals and declining. Key pressures include the loss and fragmentation of open habitat, declining wild prey, conflict with livestock farmers, vehicle collisions, and the illegal trafficking of cubs for the exotic pet trade. Because cheetahs range widely and live at low densities, much of the remaining population exists outside protected areas, which makes them especially exposed. The Asiatic cheetah subspecies (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), now confined to Iran's central drylands with fewer than 50 individuals, is Critically Endangered and at serious risk of extinction.

## African cheetah vs Asiatic cheetah
| Feature | African cheetah | Asiatic cheetah |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Range | Eastern and southern Africa | Central Iran only |
| IUCN status | Vulnerable | Critically Endangered |
| Estimated number | Several thousand | Fewer than 50 |
| Build | Larger, longer-legged | Smaller, thicker coat, more powerful neck |
| Spots | Larger, more spaced | Smaller, denser spots |

## What WARN does
The cheetah lives outside the five countries where the World Animal Rescue Network currently funds on-the-ground projects (Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, and Colombia). WARN does not fund cheetah field work, and at our current launch stage we are honest about that scope. This guide is educational and search-focused content: it exists to build global awareness of an iconic, threatened species and to support WARN's broader mission of protecting wildlife and the habitats they depend on. The conservation challenges cheetahs face, including habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade, are the same forces WARN tackles in the regions where it does operate.

The cheetah falls outside the regions WARN currently funds, but the threats it faces, habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade, are exactly what your support helps us fight where we do work. Backing WARN's habitat protection efforts strengthens a global mission to keep wild places intact for vulnerable species everywhere.

## Frequently asked questions: Cheetah
### How fast can a cheetah run?
A cheetah can reach roughly 100-120 km/h (about 60-75 mph) in short bursts, making it the fastest land animal. The highest reliably recorded speed is around 104 km/h (65 mph). It can only sustain a full sprint for a few hundred metres before it has to stop and cool down.

### Is the cheetah endangered?
The cheetah is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with about 6,500 mature individuals estimated worldwide and the population declining. The Asiatic cheetah, found only in Iran, is Critically Endangered, with fewer than 50 thought to remain.

### Where do cheetahs live?
Most wild cheetahs live in eastern and southern Africa, including countries such as Kenya and Tanzania, where they favour open grasslands and savannas. A tiny, separate population of Asiatic cheetahs survives in the arid landscapes of central Iran.

### What do cheetahs eat?
Cheetahs are carnivores that mainly hunt small to medium ungulates weighing about 20-60 kg, such as gazelles, impala, and springbok, plus hares and the young of larger animals. They hunt by day and rely on speed rather than strength to catch prey.

### What is a baby cheetah called?
A baby cheetah is called a cub. Litters usually contain three to four cubs, which are born blind and depend entirely on their mother. Cub mortality is high in the wild because of predators such as lions and hyenas.

### What is the difference between a cheetah and a leopard?
Cheetahs are slim and built for speed, with solid round spots and black tear-mark lines running from the eyes to the mouth. Leopards are more powerfully built, climb trees, and have rose-shaped markings called rosettes rather than solid spots. Cheetahs cannot fully retract their claws, while leopards can.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List: Acinonyx jubatus (Cheetah)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/219/50649567)
- [CITES: Cheetahs](https://cites.org/eng/prog/terrestrial_fauna/cheetahs)
- [Wikipedia: Cheetah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah)
- [Wikipedia: Asiatic cheetah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiatic_cheetah)
- [PNAS: The global decline of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and what it means for conservation](https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1611122114)
- [IUCN Cat Specialist Group: Cheetah](https://www.catsg.org/living-species-cheetah)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/cheetah