If cheetahs are so fast, how come they can't catch their prey?

Being so quick they are able to capture prey that no other animals are able to catch. Cheetahs are sprinters, not long-distance runners. They are easily winded after their incredible bursts of speed. read more

Cheetahs and humans are optimized for different things. Cheetahs are designed to sprint on four legs where humans are designed to go the distance on two. We can't run sixty miles an hour and no cats can run a marathon. It is theorized that the original human hunting style was chasing a faster animal until it was exhausted. read more

Meanwhile their favorite prey, the Thomson Gazelle, can only run at 96 km/h (60 mph), but for longer. Males live in coalitions, or groups, so they can go after larger prey. But females live alone unless they have cubs, and Cheetahs are pretty small, so Thomson Gazelles are about they largest prey they can go after. read more