These giant felines are the world's fastest land animals. Here's why.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — For 35 years, American zoologist Laurie Marker has been collecting and storing specimens in a cheetah sperm bank in Namibia, hoping conservationists never have to use them.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Cheetahs are built for speed, capable of reaching more than 60 miles per hour in short bursts, making them the fastest land animal ...

A cheetah sprinting across the savanna can look almost unreal in motion. The animal starts low in the grass, completely focused, then suddenly launches into a chase at astonishing speed.

FILE - A cheetah descends from on top of a mound in the savannah of the Maasai Mara, Kenya, July 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File) (Ben Curtis, Copyright 2025 The ...