- Baboon
- Buffalo
- Bushbuck
- Cheetah
- Duiker
- Eland
- Elephant
- Giraffe
- Grysbok
- Hippopotamus
- Hyena (Spotted)
- Impala
- Jackal (Black-Backed)
- Klipspringer
- Kudu
- Leopards
- Lion
- Mongoose (Banded)
- Nyala
- Porcupine
- Rhino
- Roan Antelope
- Sable Antelope
- Smaller Carnivores
- Steenbok
- Tssessebe
- Vervet Monkey
- Warthog
- Waterbuck
- Wilderbeest (Blue)
- Wild Dog
- Zebra
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
THE LARGER CARNIVORES
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Cheetahs are plains-loving and shun densely wooded or mountainous regions. In open grassland with scattered patches of trees, they run their prey down in a short burst of very high speed. Cheetahs have been known to reach speeds of 100 km/h in these generally short chases. To watch such a chase and witness the astonishing acceleration displayed by a cheetah intent on felling its prey, provides a scene few other larger predators can rival.
Generally encountered in groups of two or three, they roam over large areas and are found throughout the Park. Unlike leopards, they are more active by day, and also have solid black spots all over the body. Most characteristic is the black 'tear-mark' running from the in side of each eye down to the outside of the mouth. Lanky, streamlined animals, they are built for speed, having long thin legs, a relatively elongate thin chest and abdomen, and a head which is less bulky than that of a leopard. Not so obvious a difference is that cheetah cannot fully retract their claws.
Only 250 to 300 of these animals inhabit the Park, but despite their smaller numbers, they are often seen as a result of their diurnal activity and preference for open country.
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