![\"Cheetah](\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/712f3199-1f28-42f7-b009-cdf30643c8b2-1024x680.jpg\" "\\"Cheetah")
Photo credit: Dan Thuo<\/p><\/div>\n
Cheetahs are incredible animals, that can accelerate faster than a Ferrari, tearing up the ground from 0-75 mph in just 3 seconds. While they\u00a0hold their position as the world\u2019s fastest land mammal, they are also Africa\u2019s most endangered feline.<\/p>\n
Did you know that though they now reside in Africa, the cheetah is believed to have originated in the Americas. The slender big cat started its migration into Asia about 100,000 years ago via the Beringian land bridge. The cats then moved southward into Africa.<\/p>\n
Here are some more facts about Cheetah!<\/p>\n
1)\u00a0Cheetahs are primarily found in\u00a0sub-Saharan Africa, where they can be seen roaming in open, grassy savannah plains during the day. They have poor night vision.<\/p>\n
![\"Beautiful](\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/dbfccb36-72f9-4e1c-83e6-c54f38ba7350-450x300.jpg\")
Cheeky Cheetah<\/p><\/div>\n
2)\u00a0These big cats\u2019 bodies can grow between\u00a01.1m\u00a0and\u00a01.4m\u00a0metres long, plus they have a long tail that measures between\u00a065cm\u00a0to\u00a080cm.<\/p>\n
3)\u00a0Their coat is pale yellow with black dots on the upper parts, and are white on the underbelly. Their faces are distinguished by prominent, black lines that curve from the inner corner of each eye to the outer corners of the mouth.<\/p>\n
4) They are the fastest land animal in the world. Their bodies have evolved to enable this speed as they are equipped with long legs, an elongated spine and claws adapted to grip the ground. Their long tail helps them balance.<\/p>\n
![\"Cheetah](\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/be1fbc75-50d0-493e-b83a-3b2bd06b69e6-1024x682.jpg\" "\\"Cheetah")
Photo credit: Martin Weru<\/p><\/div>\n
5)\u00a0Cheetahs are carnivores and feed off other animals they find on Africa\u2019s plains, either killed by other predators or ones they have hunted themselves.<\/p>\n
6)\u00a0They usually\u00a0hunt during the day\u00a0to avoid competition from other powerful predators such as\u00a0lions\u00a0and\u00a0leopards.<\/p>\n
7) As sprinting at such mega speeds uses a lot of energy, a cheetah chase usually lasts less than a minute before they get tired. When running, cheetahs use their tail to steer, like a rudder for a boat.<\/p>\n
8)\u00a0Cheetahs are very social animals and are found in groups, consisting of either a mother and her young, siblings or a coalition of males who live and hunt together. Adult females, however, tend to be solitary and only meet with males to mate.<\/p>\n
![\"Cheetah](\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/b9892c89-a360-4126-853a-57a4a7c6fdc7.jpg\" "\\"Cheetah")
Photo Credit: Dan Thuo<\/p><\/div>\n
9)\u00a0Females can give birth to between\u00a0two\u00a0to\u00a0eight\u00a0cubs at a time. When the cubs are between 16\u00a0to\u00a024\u00a0months old they are usually encouraged to learn to look after themselves.<\/p>\n
10)\u00a0Sadly the cheetah is classified as\u00a0Vulnerable on the IUCN Red list,\u00a0and, today, only an estimated\u00a09,000-12,000\u00a0remain in Africa.<\/p>\n
We hope that seeing these wonderful images has inspired you to want to go on safari, and enjoy seeing these endangered animals yourself, and to help, we have some amazing itineraries available, such as our flagship Cheetah Safari.<\/a><\/p>\n We would love to work with you to plan the safari holiday of a lifetime. For more information on how our safari experts can help you, call Somak Holidays today on 020 8423 3000, or visit our website here:<\/p>\n