World Cheetah Day (aka International Cheetah Day) was declared in 2010 by Dr. Laurie Marker, founder of Cheetah Conservation Foundation. The date was selected in memory of a cheetah cub named Khayam, who was the subject of groundbreaking study to successfully re-introduce orphaned cheetahs to the wild by teaching them to hunt.
As the world's fastest land mammals, cheetahs can run 110 km/hr (70 mph) and accelerate to top speed in 3 seconds. They prey mostly on smaller hoofed animals such as springbok and gazelles. They are Africa's most endangered big cat, with less than 7,500 left in the wild.
