Read Peter Jackson's expert answers to your questions on the following topics:
Tiger size
Tiger types
Tiger travel
Cat aggression
Cat DNA
Cheetah classification
Lion differences
Cat speed
Tiger tolerance
Tiger defenses

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Q: On Cat Speed

How fast can a leopard run? How about a cheetah?

A: Interest has centered on cheetahs' speed because they are coursers, like dogs, that chase their prey. Leopards and other cats attack their prey by stalking and a short rush; the rush is obviously fast, but I am not aware of it having been measured.

The following tests of cheetah speed have been carried out:

1. A captive-bred cheetah clocked 52 mph (83.7 kph) by radar at a fund-raising event called "Run for Survival" in favor of the Cheetah Conservation Fund on May 23 and 24, 1999.

2. In Kenya in 1965, a 35-kg captive female cheetah achieved a mean time of 64 mph (102.4 kph) in three runs over a 220-yard (201.2-meter) course. She had 30 minutes rest between each run.