Cheetah

No car, animal or jet can beat the acceleration of the cheetah. The fastest animal on land, the cheetah can accelerate from 0 – 70km/h in only two seconds and reach speeds of up to 120km/h. They do, however, have low stamina and their bodies heat up considerably on a run. This is ideal for females as their body temperature has to escalate to at least 40®C to enable ovulation; however, it can be detrimental to males as it can kill their sperm if their body temperature spikes above 38®C. At Inverdoorn the female cheetahs are exercised with daily runs.

Cheetahs have excellent vision, which is one of their greatest hunting attributes, and are able to see up to three kilometers away enabling them to scan the horizon before they stalk their prey. They are very intelligent creatures and this ensures a more successful kill, because they are wise enough to conserve their energy when they realise that prey is too far away. They do not arrogantly stalk unrealistic prey. Instead, they stick to small- and medium-sized antelope such as duiker, impala and springbok. The females hunt and will pursue this activity alone; whereas the males will hunt in a coalition, often made up of brothers and cousins. Cheetahs are active in the daylight in order to reduce competition with lions and leopards. They are smaller than lions and leopards and, thus, are diurnal as they cannot compete with the other big cats.

Cheetahs are sleek and lithe. Their hip-bones stick out quite prominently and this is an indication that they are healthy. If the hip bones cannot be seen then the cheetah is too fat. On the other hand, if the hip bones are too prominent then the cat is too thin. Their backbones are very flexible. When they are running their flexibility is beautifully displayed as their back legs go past their front legs and their front legs go past their behind. They use their claws, which are semi-retractable, for traction. They have rough pads under their feet, which assist with running. Their soft, gentle purring helps them to cool down and they use their whiskers to feel the pulse of the animal and ensure that it is dead, as some animals employ the technique of “playing dead” in an attempt to fool their predators. These beautiful big cats are further distinguished by the marks on their faces, which are known as “tear” marks. There are a few folk tales that explain the reason for these markings, but their purpose is to act as “sunglasses” because they cut sunlight and filter UV rays. They also assist in teaching cubs how to bite.

Sadly, there are only 6 000 cheetahs left in the world today; whereas they used to roam throughout Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. Akbar the Great of India once personally owned 9 000. At Inverdoorn there are 14 cheetahs, five of which are tame and can be encountered during a cheetah interaction (*weather dependant).

*Cheetah interactions are subject to the right weather conditions and booking. If you are travelling to the game reserve with children 16 years and under, for their safety, they will not be able join you when interacting with the cheetah. Babysitting services are available, if required.