Cheetah

Description

No, you will not see this cat on any of the local trails. But you may see one at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, CA. The Cheetah is a large cat approximately the size and build of a Great Dane. They have a beautiful spotted coat and distinct facial markings. With the ability to reach speeds near 70 mph, this cat is built for speed and is the fastest mammal on land. Their lungs are also adapted to support high bursts of speed. And their vision is adapted for wide angle viewing - handy when they make a quick turn and need to quickly see what's ahead of them when changing direction.

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens houses the Cheetahs in a spacious enclosure large enough for a short run. They are often difficult to see. But sometimes they lie in the shade on a high point of the enclosure and treat you to a fantastic viewing of them.

Family: Cat.

Field Notes

On one of our visits we were fortunate enough to get within a few feet of the Cheetah while the cat was being walked to the zoo hospital. VERY COOL!