Cheetah Effecticient Hunting Skills

The Asiatic cheetah roamed a vast area from North Africa, across the Middle East, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan to the Indian sub-continent for many thousands of years. The vast open bush land was ideal for their style of hunting. They stalked their prey and when near decent, they made a lightning, quick dash to down their victim.

In three steps, a cheetah could go from 0-80 kmph and in a few seconds, to its maximum of 110 kmph. Fantastic, magnificent, awesome fellow!

Unfortunately, it was his good looks and his effective hunting skills that destroyed him. During the last 600 years or so, cheetahs were cornered by Mughal rulers to be held as pets or for coursing. That means they were used to track down black bucks and chinkara for the kings to shoot down. People say that Akbar the Great had 9000 cheetahs in captivity! The British officials in India and rajahs and maharajahs hunted them as prizes or for their skin. The hunting continued unchecked, till it was too late. Before anyone realised it, there wasn't a single cheetah left in the country.