A day in the life of … a Cheetah

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17 Jun A day in the life of … a Cheetah

Posted at 14:24h in Blog, Wildlife by Nambiti Writes
I am a cheetah, known for my speed and manoeuvrability.

So Cheetah’s story begins…

My kind has almost vanished from 90% of our historic habitat in Africa and we are sadly extinct in Asia, with exception of a small number in Iran. It is guessed that there are about 7000 of us left in the wild.

IDENTIFICATION

We have a beautiful, sleek body with long legs and a yellowish-tan coat with distinctive spots. Most people confuse us with leopards, but you can tell when you are seeing a cheetah by the tear marks that run from our eyes down our face.

ENDANGERED SPECIES

The reason we cheetah are so few is that society is encroaching on our natural habitat as human numbers increase, we are being hunted by farmers to prevent predation of their livestock and we are being captured for the illegal exotic pet trade. In the case of illegal trade, most captured will not even make the journey and we really don’t make good pets.

Actually, I am acknowledged as the world’s fastest land animal. Speed is a fun skill to have. I can accelerate to about 95 km/h in roughly 3 seconds and my top speed is 120 km/h. Can you imagine what it is like seeing things at that speed? It does make focus a little difficult when hunting, but I have learnt over my years to adjust to that.

Cheetah at Nambiti

Diet

I enjoy the food I can catch quickly that is small and easily eaten. Larger predators tend to want to take my food, so eating quickly is important for me.  My favourite foods are small antelope, the likes of springbok, steenbok, duikers, impala and gazelles. I will also hunt warthogs, kudu, hartebeest, oryx, roan, sable, game birds and rabbits.

BREEDING

Cheetahs are generally not very social, as animals go. I will either hang out alone or will be in a coalition with another family member (although this is mostly the boys). Female cheetahs are also solitary and will only come together with males to breed and will be with the cubs until they are between 16 – 24 months, where they will be left to start fending for themselves.

HABITAT

I am generally found in shrublands, grasslands and savannahs, and like to relax between hunts and walk my territory in long grass or on rocks or mounds to gain a better vantage point for hunting.

Come and visit a top game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal where you will find Big 5 wildlife, over 200 bird species and a massive variety of flora. If you want a game reserve experience that you will never forget; visit one of our 9 Game Lodges which offer everything from safari camp to 5-star accommodation, catering and game drives. At Nambiti Private Game Reserve, we pride ourselves on taking care of the flora and fauna in our reserve and providing a memorable safari experience that you will not easily forget. Make your booking at nambiti.com/contact-us/.

Sources: Wildlifeday, Treehugger, National Geographic 

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