Sarah, an 11-year-old cheetah at the Cincinnati Zoo, has set a new speed record, reaching 61 mph.
She completed the 100 meters in a remarkable 5.95 seconds, making her nearly 40% faster than Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest human, whose record is 9.58 seconds for the same distance.
Captured on camera during her first attempt, Sarah’s record-breaking sprint took place on a specially designed course, where she chased a fluffy dog toy lure.
The course was certified by the Road Running Technical Council of USA Track & Field, ensuring the legitimacy of her feat. This isn’t Sarah’s first time claiming the title of the fastest land animal.
In 2009, she broke a previous record by running 100 meters in 6.13 seconds, surpassing the 6.19-second mark set by a male cheetah named Nyana from South Africa in 2001.
Cheetahs are uniquely adapted for speed. Their flexible spines allow their front legs to extend far forward with each stride, covering 20 to 22 feet—similar to a racehorse’s stride. Remarkably, they spend more than half of their running time airborne.
Their sharp claws, resembling cleats, provide excellent traction, enabling them to reach extraordinary speeds.
Thane Maynard, executive director of the Cincinnati Zoo, expressed pride in Sarah’s achievement: “At the Cincinnati Zoo, we aim to inspire every visitor with wildlife, and nothing compares to seeing a cheetah at full speed in our Cheetah Encounter.
Sarah, as the world record holder, serves as an incredible ambassador for her cheetah relatives in the wild.”
For over 20 years, the Cincinnati Zoo has supported cheetah conservation efforts in Africa. Despite their endangered status, Maynard is hopeful that cheetahs might still be able to outrun extinction.
The zoo’s involvement in conservation has earned it the nickname “The Cheetah Capital of the World,” thanks to its Regional Cheetah Breeding Facility, one of only four such centers in the U.S. To date, 64 cheetah cubs have been born at the zoo.
Sarah and four other cheetahs in the zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program recently participated in a project for an upcoming feature in National Geographic Magazine. This article will showcase never-before-seen high-speed photos of cheetah movement.
Cheetah populations have dramatically declined from around 100,000 in 1900 to an estimated 9,000 to 12,000 today.
Through its Cat Ambassador Program, the Cincinnati Zoo has been spreading awareness about cheetah endangerment by visiting schools and community programs throughout the U.S., Canada, and Central America since 1980.
The zoo’s Angel Fund, established in 1990, has contributed more than $1 million to cheetah conservation efforts in the wild.
Read more Wildlife News.