Habitat Loss

Cheetahs are the fastest land animals in the world. Would you believe the world's fastest land animal has trouble moving around their environment? Well, it's true!

Cheetahs live on the African savanna. Their spotted coat keeps them hidden in tall, dry grasses so they can sneak up on prey like gazelles, springbok, rabbits, and more. Once their prey comes close enough, cheetahs begin the chase. They use sharp, non-retractable claws to grip the ground while their long legs push them forward. Moving their long tail side-to-side helps them change directions while running.

Female cheetahs live and hunt alone, while male cheetahs often live in a small group called a coalition. Males can catch larger prey and are usually more successful than females because they hunt as a team. When food in an area becomes scarce, cheetahs (like most predators) must look for prey somewhere else. However, traveling to new parts of the savanna is becoming more and more challenging because of habitat fragmentation.

National parks have been created across Africa to protect cheetahs and other wildlife, but moving between the parks requires crossing fences, cities, farms, and roads. Cheetahs now have trouble finding new feeding areas and reaching mates. Cheetahs must travel to find new mates to produce healthy offspring and increase population size. Scientists are working to save cheetahs by creating connected areas between habitats that will allow cheetahs and other wildlife to move around safely.