You can endlessly admire wild cats, but guessing which is faster—a cheetah or a leopard—is difficult. Both animals are excellent runners, but there's a clear winner.
The maximum speed of a cheetah
A cheetah's maximum jump can reach 6 m.
The cheetah is considered the fastest land animal. It can reach speeds of up to 110 km/h, and within 2 seconds of takeoff it reaches 65 km/h! However, he's not a long-distance runner, but rather a sprinter. A cheetah's run consists of a series of bursts, each covering a distance of just over 400 meters. After running this mini-distance, the animal must rest to recuperate.
This is explained by the animal's habitat and hunting habits. Cheetahs live in open terrain, where there's no opportunity to hide in ambush, so they pursue their prey. They first approach their potential prey to within 10 meters, then catch it in a high-speed sprint.
How fast can a leopard run?
Predators can make huge jumps up to 7 m in length and 3 m in height
Unlike the cheetah, the leopard is a forest dweller. The abundance of tall grass and shrubs allows the predator to hide and watch its prey from ambush. When attacking prey, it pursues it at a speed of 60 km/h, without having to run far.
Who is faster?
The ability to run fast is vital for a cheetah.
Despite their superficial similarities, cheetahs and leopards live in different environments and therefore hunt differently. Their running abilities also differ, with the cheetah considered the fastest runner of all wild cats.
Although the leopard does not run as fast as the cheetah, it hunts no less successfully, and in the wild this is the most important thing.
