heetah are present in the larger National Parks but very scarce
and not often seen. Kafue NP offers the best opportunities. They
usually move in small family groups and occasionally alone. They
favour open country and light woodland. They prey on small or
medium antelope such as oribi, puku and impala.   The cheetah is
the fastest animal on four legs, capable of reaching speeds of
over 97 kms/ hour (60 mph). To cope with the physical demands of
sprinting, the cheetah has longer back legs to give greater
stride and weight has been lost at the expense of muscular
strength. Small cheetah cubs can fall prey to hunting lions and
mothers often have difficulty defending their slow moving
offspring.   A shy creature that roams widely, the cheetah is
not seen as easily as some other cats. Never numerous, cheetahs
have become extinct in many areas, principally due to shrinking
habitat, loss of species to prey upon, disease, and a high rate
of cub mortality. In some areas 50 to 75 percent of all cheetah
cubs die before