It’s dawn in the savanna, and its inhabitants are already starting to stir. Giraffes are munching on the tops of trees, and gazelles are ambling through the shrub-spotted grasslands. Elephants are trampling the thirsty turf, sending sprays of dust into the dry savannah air, and buffalos are bent with their snuffling snouts to the ground.
Rarely are any of these grazing animals alone, at this time of day or any other. And though they typically travel in herds, including tens to hundreds to thousands of other individuals, their herdmates aren't always their only company. There's always a chance that powerful predators are lurking nearby, whether lions or leopards or the world's fastest felines: the cheetahs.
Compared to some of the other cats of the savanna, cheetahs may not seem like much of a threat. Their bodies are smaller and sleeker, their teeth are tinier, and their claws are shorter and blunter than those of a lion or leopard. But the cheetahs' special weapon is not their strength, but their speed.
