Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii

Status

NE DD LC NT VU EN CR EW EX

For more info on classifications visit www.iucnredlist.org

We have two cheetahs at Edinburgh Zoo: Billy and Domino.

Billy came from Whipsnade Zoo in March 2025. He is full of energy, and you can often see him exploring his enclosure, climbing trees and playing in leafy pits. Domino arrived from Zoo de Cerza in France in November 2025. She is a very curious character.

Cheetahs are different from other big cats because they cannot roar. Instead, they make sounds like chirps, purrs, and yelps to talk to each other.

In the wild, cheetahs live in small, spread-out populations in countries like Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan. Their numbers are falling because of poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, loss of habitat and not having enough prey to hunt.

Population

Decreasing

Diet

Carnivore

Habitat

Grasslands

Fact file

Cheetahs are the fastest land animals in the world over short distances and can reach speeds of up to 75mph. They can reach 60mph in just three seconds!
They can't roar! Instead they meow and purr – like a housecat
Cheetahs have approximately 2,000 spots

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