Cheetah facts food

Their presence in open savannas overlaps with cheetah hunting grounds, creating consistent opportunities.

Predation on bustards helps keep bird populations stable and balanced in grassland ecosystems.

12. Cheetahs typically target younger or slower individuals within the herd. Young or distracted reedbucks are the most common targets.

Their meat is substantial enough to feed adult cheetahs for hours.

Cheetahs often stalk gazelles from a distance before initiating a quick, explosive chase that ends within seconds.

Young and juvenile gazelles are especially vulnerable because they cannot run as fast or maneuver as efficiently as adults. Since they lose more food to other predators than any big cat, cheetahs must hunt frequently to survive.

This detailed guide explores the 20 foods cheetahs hunt most in the wild, describing how they hunt, why these animals are important for cheetah survival and the ecological balance they help maintain.

Understanding the Cheetah Diet

Cheetahs are obligate carnivores, meaning they rely entirely on meat for their nutrition.

Throughout Africa, cheetahs help regulate prey populations, prevent overgrazing and support ecological balance. Cheetahs hunt by utilizing their great eyesight to spot their target and quietly sneak up on it.

When the cheetah is close, it chases after the animal and trips it before killing the prey. Cheetahs rely on these abundant gazelles to meet their daily energy needs, especially when raising cubs.

Dik-dik

Dik-diks are among the smallest antelope in Africa, making them easy targets for cheetahs living in brushland and thorn scrub habitats. Carrion offers easy calories during hardship.

Scavenging can help cheetahs recover energy quickly after failed hunts. Like lions, cheetahs are not great swimmers and do not hunt in the water. 

Cheetahs do like to stay near waterbodies because that is where the animals they hunt can easily be found.

Do Cheetahs Eat Birds?

Yes, cheetahs do occasionally eat birds, although it's not a significant part of their diet.

For instance, in open grasslands, cheetahs efficiently pursue swift antelopes, while in denser environments, their diet might shift towards smaller animals. Their size helps sustain adult males that require more energy. Their specialized hunting strategies, incredible speed and reliance on stealth shape their diet and ecological role. Mothers also benefit from Grant’s gazelles when feeding growing cubs.

The relationship between predators and gazelles contributes to ecosystem stability by balancing herbivore numbers.

5.

Although not common, it reflects their flexibility in harsh seasons.

Carrion feeding contributes to natural cleanup processes and nutrient recycling.

FAQs About What Do Cheetahs Eat

What do cheetahs mostly eat?

Their primary food includes gazelles, impalas, springboks and other small to medium antelope.

Do cheetahs eat meat only?

Yes.

Their diet frequently includes gazelles, impalas, and springboks. The likelihood of such encounters and killings depends on the conditions of the ecosystem, particularly the availability of easier prey. Understanding what cheetahs eat in the wild helps us appreciate their role in African ecosystems and the challenges they face as specialized predators.

In the wild, cheetahs hunt primarily during the day to avoid conflicts with larger predators like lions and hyenas.

Impala

Impalas are agile and fast, making them challenging but rewarding prey. Their tendency to freeze when threatened gives cheetahs a chance to approach silently. Because adult warthogs can be dangerous, cheetahs focus strictly on piglets or weakened juveniles.

Piglets offer fatty, nutritious meat that supports periods of high energy expenditure.

Reedbucks serve as dependable prey in wetland-adjacent savannas.

Predation on reedbucks helps maintain balanced grazing patterns and prevents habitat overuse.

15. Cheetahs are strict carnivores that rely entirely on animal protein.

How often do cheetahs hunt?

Typically every one to three days, depending on prey size and hunger levels.

Do cheetahs eat zebras?

They occasionally hunt zebra foals, but adult zebras are too large and dangerous.

Do cheetahs eat birds?

Yes.