International Cheetah Day, the fastest animal is racing against extinction

By – Dr. N. Munal Meitei
“Protecting wildlife and living in harmony with nature are integral to India’s civilisational ethosand we see that spirit alive today in these efforts,” P.M. Narendra Modi on Cheetah Day.
Every year 4th December is marked as International Cheetah Day since 2010. The day is dedicated to emphasizing global efforts to prevent the Cheetah’s extinction and promote its conservation.
Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are part of the felidae family and are among the oldest big cat species, with their ancestry dating back over 5 million years.It’s one of the most endangered big cats, with a severely fragmented population of around 7,100 individuals in the wild. It has disappeared across roughly 91% of its historic range, surviving largely within fenced-in National Parks across Africa and a small population of critically endangered Asiatic cheetahs in Iran. The species, classified as vulnerable on the latest IUCN Red List assessment, has decreased by 37% over 15 years due to habitat loss and conflict with humans. The population is continuedto falling.
Cheetahs and leopards are often confused due to their spotted appearance, but key differences that set apartthem are facial markings of Cheetahs with distinct black tear-like streaks from eyes to mouth which glare the sun when they are hunting; leopards do not. The body build of Cheetahs is slender, taller and built for speed, whereas leopards are shorter, stockier and built for power. The claws of Cheetahs have semi-retractable aiding their speed; leopards have fully retractable claws, useful for climbing. The vocalizations of Cheetahs chirp, while leopards roar.
The cheetah has a long, muscular tail that has a flat shape. The tail almost functions like a rudder on a boat because they use it to help control their steering and keep their balance when running very fast. The cheetah’s fur is covered in solid black spots and so is their skin. The black fur actually grows out of the black spots on their skin.
Cheetah cubs have long tall hair that runs from their neck all the way down to the base of their tail, which is called the mantle. The mantle makes a cheetah cub look like a honey badger and makes them blend into tall grass, which helps keep them safe from threats like lions and hyenas.
Cheetahs are the world’s fastest animalthat they can run 110 kmph, which is as fast as cars drive on the highway. The cheetah can reach its top speed in just 3 seconds. When cheetahs are running full speed, their stride is 6-7 meters. Their feet only touch the ground twice during each stride.
Cheetahs are carnivores and feed mostly on smaller antelope like springbok, steenbok, gazelle and duiker. They usually chase down their prey and then bite its throat, killing it by cutting off its air supply (suffocation).A mother Cheetah usually cares for anywhere from 2 to 8 cubs per litter, but cubs are often the target of other predators and many do not survive past the first year.
India launched Project Cheetah in 2022 to reintroduce Cheetahs after more than 70 years of extinction since 1952.  Under theProject Tiger, Cheetahs were translocated to India from Namibia and South Africa in 2022 and 2023.It is implemented by the National Tiger Conservation Authority in partnership with the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India, with oversight from the Cheetah Project Steering Committee set up in 2023. Despite skepticism over their survival and adaptation, the project has evolved into an unprecedented success.This shift from relocation to natural breeding is critical -it proves that India’s grasslands can indeed support these predators and may serve as a model for global species restoration.
Under the project, 8 Cheetahs from Namibia and 12 from South Africa were relocated to Kuno National Park. As of December 2025, India is home to 32 Cheetahs, including 21 born on Indian soil. Many of them now thrive in the Kuno National Park and the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.One significant moment came in November 2025, when Mukhi, an India-born female, gave birth to five healthy cubs, signaling the cheetahs’ acceptance of their new habitat.
The project aims to establish breeding populations in suitable habitats, use Cheetahs as a flagship species to restore open forests and savannas, promote eco-development and ecotourism through community awareness. India is now home to multiple locations under Project Cheetah. After Kuno, the home to the majority of India’s Cheetah population, Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, in Madhya Pradesh also getting its first Cheetah, “Dheera,” in 2025, expanding the conservation effort. Now, Banni Grasslands, Gujarat is still under developmentto diversify cheetah habitats and strengthen the population. These reserves play a crucial role in global Cheetah conservation and eco-tourism.
International Cheetah Day, the celebration of the world’s fastest land animal isnot only to honors the species but also the people and projects dedicated to save it.
(The author is Environmentalist, presently working as DFO/Chandel, [email protected])