Cheetah: status, range, size and diet
The fastest land animal, a slender daytime sprinter of African grassland and Iranian desert, listed as Vulnerable.
Also known as Acinonyx jubatus, hunting leopard
At a glance
| Scientific name | Acinonyx jubatus |
|---|---|
| Group | Big cats |
| Weight | About 21-65 kg |
| Length | Head and body about 110-150 cm, tail 60-80 cm |
| Lifespan in the wild | Males about 10 years, females up to 14-15 years |
| Known for | Sprinting at close to 100 km/h in short bursts. |
Status
| IUCN Red List category | Vulnerable |
|---|---|
| Assessed in | 2023 |
| Population estimate | Estimated 6,517 mature individuals |
| Estimate from | 2021 |
Where it lives
| Range | Scattered populations in eastern, southern and northwestern Africa, and a very small remnant in central Iran |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Savanna, open grassland, semi-desert and arid mountain country; seldom dense forest |
| Diet | Impala, springbok, gazelles and other antelope, plus hares and birds |
Main threats
- Loss and fragmentation of habitat
- Conflict with livestock owners
- Loss of prey
- Illegal trade in live cubs
About
The cheetah is built for speed. It has a deep chest, a narrow waist, long thin legs and a flexible spine, and its claws only partly retract, which gives grip like running spikes. A long tail works as a rudder at speed. Its tawny coat is covered in small solid spots, and two dark lines run from the inner corner of each eye down to the mouth.
The famous top speed of 114 km/h is based on a faulty measurement. The best reliable records are around 100 km/h, reached only in short bursts. Cheetahs cannot roar. They purr, chirp and make a short, sharp call to keep a family together.
Where it lives and what it eats
Cheetahs once ranged across Africa and much of southern Asia. Today they live in scattered groups, mainly in eastern and southern Africa, in parts of northwest Africa and in the deserts of central Iran. They occupy only a small share of their historical African range, and many of them live outside protected areas, on farmland and rangeland shared with people.
They hunt by day, which lets them avoid lions and hyenas that are active at night. They stalk, then chase, usually targeting animals under 40 kg such as impala, springbok and Thomson's gazelle. Females raise cubs alone until the young are about 18 to 20 months old, while brothers often stay together for life.
Threats and conservation
The species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The assessment was published in 2023 and updated in 2024. It rests on a population estimate of 6,517 mature individuals made in 2021, with a decreasing trend. Two regional forms are assessed as Critically Endangered, the Asiatic cheetah in Iran, where roughly a dozen animals survived in 2022, and the northwest African cheetah.
Cheetahs need large areas and have low numbers wherever lions and hyenas are common. Land clearing, fences, killing of cats that attack livestock, a shrinking supply of prey and trafficking of cubs for the pet trade all add to the pressure. Conservation work includes livestock guarding dogs, community conservancies, anti-trafficking efforts and the movement of cheetahs between reserves. In 2022 India began a project to bring African cheetahs back to its grasslands.
Cats and people
Rulers in ancient Egypt, the Middle East and India kept tame cheetahs for hunting antelope. Cheetahs rarely attack people. They breed poorly in captivity, which long made zoo populations depend on wild-caught animals, though captive breeding has improved in recent decades. Buying a cheetah cub as a pet fuels an illegal trade that kills many animals, and wild cats should not be kept as pets.
Profile last reviewed November 7, 2026