Celebrate the Cheetah

December 4th

 

International Cheetah Day Events

December 4th

Join the Celebrations
 

Learn About Cheetahs

December 4th

Help kids get involved
 

Help #SaveTheCheetah on #IntlCheetahDay

Join the Twitterstorm

Tweet for Cheetahs
 

Show Your Support

December 4th

Buy an International Cheetah Day T-shirt
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Events Around the World

See All Events (and add your own!)

  •  
    Windhoek, Khomas, Namibia
    December 7, 2018 - 3:00 pm
    International Cheetah Day
    Sponsored by: Cheetah and Wild Dog Team at The Desert Dash
  •  
    Malili, Makueni County, Kenya
    December 8, 2018 - 8AM -all day
    Champions for Cheetahs
    Sponsored by: Action for Cheetahs in Kenya
  •  
    Palm Desert, CA, United States
    December 4, 2018 - 9AM-12PM
    International Cheetah Day
    Sponsored by: The Living Desert
  •  
    Alexandria, VA, United States
    December 4, 2018 - All Day
    International Cheetah Day
    Sponsored by: Cheetah Conservation Fund
  •  
    Sanford, FL, United States
    December 1, 2018 - 9am - 5pm
    International Cheetah Day
    Sponsored by: Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
  •  
    Columbus, OH, United States
    December 2, 2018 - 11-3
    International Cheetah Day
    Sponsored by: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
  •  
    Santa Cruz, CA, United States
    December 2, 2018 - 12:30 pm - 5:00 pm
    The Art of Saving the Cheetah
    Sponsored by: Cheetah Conservation Fund - Northern California Chapter of Volunteers
  •  
    Saint Louis, MO, United States
    December 2, 2018 - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at River's Edge
    International Cheetah Day
    Sponsored by: Saint Louis Zoo
  •  
    Indianapolis, IN, United States
    December 2, 2018 - 1-4 PM
    International Cheetah Day Celebration...
    Sponsored by: Indianapolis Zoo
  •  
    Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa, Namibia
    December 4, 2018 - All Day
    International Cheetah Day
    Sponsored by: CCF Namibia Headquarters

Here are some things you can do to celebrate International Cheetah Day on December 4th:

  1. Learn about cheetahs – scroll down to see our cheetah facts
  2. Participate in one of the ICD events listed on our site here.
  3. Wish everyone you meet a very “Happy International Cheetah Day!”.
  4. Get yourself one of the Save The Cheetah International Cheetah Day shirt from CCF’s Bonfire fundraising campaign.
  5. Read Freeda The Cheetah by Picklefish Press! The Kindle version is free to download on Amazon.
  6. Download Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Conservation Passport and The Living Desert’s CHEETAH FUN! K – 12 Activities. When you finish the activities print out your very own Certificate of Cheetah Achievement!
  7. Join the conversation on Twitter by using hashtags #SaveTheCheetah & #IntlCheetahDay. Use our Tweet Sheet to send tweets simply and easily. Just log in to your Twitter account and then open the Tweet Sheet. Click the TWEET button to instantly post to your Twitter page.
  8. Share a cheetah image on your social media profile for the day, week or month.
  9. Host a Namibia: Land of the Cheetahs viewing party. Invite your friends and share the Born to Explore special by Richard Wiese now available on Amazon.
  10. Visit the places where cheetahs live. Visit a zoo on December 4th or make a plan to visit Africa (many conservation organizations gladly accept volunteers and interns). There are conservation organizations working in research facilities, around the world and in the field, to help save the cheetah. They need YOUR help, so please consider making a donation to one of the organizations that is making a difference TODAY!

And remember ……the cheetah needs your help not just on December 4th, but every day of the year!

The world’s fastest land animal is racing against extinction. Help us win the race!

Percent of Cheetahs We've Lost Over the Past 100 years

90%

Show Your Support on Social Media

Download a social media shareable graphic for Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. Make sure to visit our Tweet Sheet for easy to share cheetah tweets.

Click the image below to visit our social media gallery.

Learn About Cheetahs

Get your own Conservation Passport for International Cheetah Day!

The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) needs your help as you celebrate International Cheetah Day. Make sure to gather more information about cheetahs and spread the word about wildlife conservation. Try making small changes in your everyday life to help your local wildlife and stay involved through service projects or fundraising to help international wildlife. In this FREE conservation passport you will find important information about the cheetah and its race for survival!

Download the Student Version and the Teacher Version complete with activity instructions and answers.

The Living Desert CHEETAH FUN! K-12 Activity Guides

The Living Desert designed a curriculum that includes the NGSS standards most relevant to the content. “STEAM” concepts are utilized in the three PDF’s that are created in the grade ranges: K-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th.

Download the Grades K – 5 Version, Grades 6 – 8 , and Grades 9 – 12

Cheetah Facts

Cheetah Speed

The cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal. They can run 70 mph (or 110 kph), which is as fast as cars drive on the highway. The cheetah can reach its top speed in just 3 seconds!

Spotted Skin

The cheetah’s fur is covered in solid black spots, and so is their skin! The black fur actually grows out of the black spots on their skin.

A cheetah's favorite food

Cheetahs are carnivores, and feed mostly on smaller antelope like springbok, steenbok, Thomson’s gazelle, and duiker. They usually chase down their prey and then bite its throat, killing it by cutting off its air supply (suffocation).

Tail like a rudder

The cheetah has a long, muscular tail that has a flat shape. The tail almost functions like a rudder on a boat because they use it to help control their steering and keep their balance when running very fast.

Almost like flying

When cheetahs are running full speed, their stride (length between steps) is 6-7 meters (21 feet). Their feet only touch the ground twice during each stride.

A lot of kids

A mother cheetah usually cares for anywhere from 2 to 8 cubs per litter, but cubs are often the target of other predators and many do not survive past the first year.

Like Football Players

Cheetahs have “tear marks” that run from the inside corners of their eyes down to the outside edges of their mouth. These marks help reflect the glare of the sun when they are hunting during the day. They work just like the black marks that football players put under their eyes during the games. These marks also work like the sights on a rifle, to help the cheetah “aim” and stay focused on their prey when they are hunting.

Not just a funny haircut

Cheetah cubs have long tall hair that runs from their neck all the way down to the base of their tail, which is called the mantle. The mantle makes a cheetah cub look like a honey badger and makes them blend into tall grass, which helps keep them safe from threats like lions and hyenas.

Most endangered cat

There are less than 7,100 cheetahs left in the wild, making the cheetah Africa’s most endangered big cat.

Cheetah Pecha Kucha

Brian Badger, Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Director of Conservation and Outreach discusses cheetahs in this Pecha Kucha (chit chat) style presentation. Learn amazing facts about cheetahs, the problems they face and the work that’s being done to save them in the wild. Watch it here by clicking the player below. Expand the presentation by clicking in the top right corner of the player or visit www.voicethread.com to view.

Cheetah Fact Sheet

Freeda The Cheetah

Download the free Kindle version or get a hard copy here.

Cheetah Coloring Page

About International Cheetah Day

Dr. Laurie Marker is the founder of Cheetah Conservation Fund. She designated December 4th as International Cheetah Day in remembrance of Khayam, a cheetah she raised from a cub at Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon (pictured left). Dr. Marker brought Khayam to Namibia to determine if captive-born cheetahs could be taught to hunt. Their efforts were successful and eventually the pair returned to Oregon. But during this trip, Dr. Marker witnessed African farmers removing wild cheetahs from the landscape as a perceived threat. In 1990, she launched CCF and relocated to Namibia to mitigate the problem of farmer-cheetah conflict. Because of her interactions with Khayam, Dr. Marker dedicated her life to becoming the cheetah’s champion, and she chose December 4th – Khayam’s birthday – for this important honor.