The Cheetah's Hunting Prowess, Decoded

The cat's remarkable braking and pivoting abilities may be as important for hunting success as its rocket-like acceleration is.

By Josie Garthwaite
Dec 11, 2013 4:46 PMNov 22, 2019 7:50 PM
cheetah-header.jpg
A rudderlike tail and low posture made possible by spine flexibility help prevent pitching as the cat’s center of mass shifts rearward. | Jay Smith/Discover; Structure and Motion Lab, RVC

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

Humans have kept cheetahs in captivity for 5,000 years and recorded the cats sprinting faster than 60 mph. Yet we’re only now grasping the true athleticism of the world’s fastest sprinter in its natural habitat, thanks to the work of a former competitive runner who wanted to understand “the enigma of the cheetah.” 

Alan Wilson, a biomechanicist at London’s Royal Veterinary College, started out studying the locomotion of racehorses, greyhounds and jackrabbits at top speed. “We started running cheetahs in a zoo setting and didn’t really get them to go very fast,” he says. “Surely,” Wilson recalls thinking, “a wild cheetah goes even faster.” 

So his team started developing equipment to measure how cheetahs move in their natural habitat. The work brought them to the dry grassland of Botswana’s Okavango Delta region, where researchers camped out in tents. Leopards, elephants and lions were frequent visitors.

Out on the delta, Wilson’s team produced the first close tracking of cheetahs hunting in the wild — and revelations that a remarkable ability to brake sharply and pivot may be as important for hunting success as the cat’s rocket-like acceleration. Here’s how the feline speedster catches its zigzagging prey.

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2025 LabX Media Group