CHEETAH'S, South Africa - Phinda Forest game reserve .The Cheetah has a taste for fast food. The worlds fastest animal on four legs can go from zero to seventy miles per hour in a blinding four seconds to run down their prey. The Cheetah is the only one of the big cats whos claws remain fully extended at all times to give them the traction to reach such speeds. Evolutionary adaptation has given these beautiful cats a specially enlarged heart, lungs and respiratory system air cooled with the largest nostrils in the cat family. Their body frame is light, lean and flexible allowing them to make split second changes in direction at high speed in pursuit of prey. They frequently hunt the smaller and swift of foot antelope such as the Impala but will bring down prey as large as a wildebeest. Often hunting in unison several of these cats will stalk and herd prey. One cat acting as the lead and driving the antelope herds towards the other cats. They will call to one another with signals sounding like birdcalls rather than cat sounds. The young cheetahs are born almost spotless and are a dusky gray on the top of the body and tan underneath. They do not develop the spots until they approach puberty. This camouflage allows them to better blend with the African brush of their surroundings. The cheetah kittens are subject to predation by other rival cat families to protect territory and limited food source. So mother cheetahs are very mindful of their kittens and will hide them in the brush when she goes out to hunt. When returning from a hunt she will call to them with bird like chirps. With their dappled markings and spots of black on gold they are one of the most beautiful of the large cats with big eyes and very expressive faces. geoff