How Cheetahs Hunt Their Prey: World's Fastest Sprinter Anticipates Escape

The cheetah is the world's fastest animal, speeding across the savanna with unmatched grace and agility. The giant cat can outpace its prey, bringing it down with its speedy hunting tactics. Now, though, scientists are learning a bit more about how the cheetah captures its dinner. They've found that the cat may anticipate the escape tactics of different prey rather than just relying on its speed and agility.

In order to examine the hunting tactics of cheetahs, the researchers used GPS and accelerometer data loggers deployed on the big cats. In addition, they used traditional observational methods. This allowed them to better understand how cheetahs brought down their prey.

"The more we understand about the physiology and the hunting tactics of this charismatic animal, the more we are able to ensure its continued existence," said Michael Scantlebury, one of the researchers, in a news release.

There are two primary phases during a cheetah chase. There's the first rapid acceleration resulting in high speed to quickly catch up with prey, followed by the second stage; this stage involves a prey-specific slowing period that occurs about five to eight seconds before the end of the chase. It enables the cheetah to match turns instigated by prey as the distance between them closes.

"Our study found that whilst cheetahs are capable of running at exceptionally high speeds, the common adage that they simply 'outrun' their prey does not explain how they are able to capture more agile animals," said Scantlebury. "Previous research has highlighted their incredible speed and acceleration and their ability to turn after escaping prey. We have now shown that hunt tactics are prey-specific."

In fact, the researchers saw that cheetahs adapt depending on what kind of prey they're chasing. With some species, such as ostriches, hares and steenbok, the cheetahs have to employ sudden changes in direction. With species such as wildebeest, gemsbok and springbok, on the other hand, the cheetahs have to put on speed in a straight line.

"One critical feature about the sports machine that is the cheetah is that we are not just talking about a dragster that achieves incredible speeds in a straight line," said Gus Mills, one of the researchers, in a news release. "This beast has to corner magnificently as well. It's a Formula One car, but with a small tank."

The findings reveal a little bit more about the hunting tactics of the cheetah. Straight line dashes are not the only method that this cat uses when catching up to its prey. This research is important for helping preserve these amazing animals in the wild.

The findings are published in the journal Biology Letters.