Description Two cheetahs in early morning sun. Taken in Namibia. Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are long-legged spotted cats and are the world's fastest land mammal - they can reach speeds up to 120 km/h! As the cheetah runs, only one foot at a time touches the ground. The cheetah is an atypical member of the cat family (Felidae) that hunts by speed rather than by stealth or pack tactics. It is estimated that there are less than 7500 cheetah left in the world, and about 6000 of these are found in Southern Africa.