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 joined us from Whipsnade Zoo in March 2025. Energetic and curious, Billy can be found exploring his enclosure, climbing trees and playing in leafy pits.

Domino arrived from Zoo de Cerza, France, in November 2025.

Cheetahs are native to Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan in small and heavily fragmented populations.

Wild populations are in decline due to poaching, illegal wildlife trade, habitat loss and lack of prey.

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!
These spotted cats are often mistaken for leopards or jaguars but it's easy to tell the difference when you know what to look for. Cheetahs have round or oval-shaped spots, while leopards and jaguars have distinctive spots called ‘rosettes’, resembling the shape of a rose
They can't roar! Instead they meow and purr – like a housecat
Cheetahs have approximately 2,000 spots

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