Animal Heavenly Body – World Encyclopedia of Animals Vol.3 Cheetah | Figure

IUCN · VULNERABLE · about 7,000 left in the wild

One Statue. Two Habitats.

The head attaches to the plaque with a hidden magnet — lift it off whenever you like.

On the shelf: Trophy Hall

Mounted on its wood-grain shield plaque with a brass-style nameplate, it reads like a natural-history-museum exhibit — shrunk to the size of your palm.

Off the plaque: Fridge Guardian

Removed from its plaque, the cheetah’s tear-marked face brings the fastest animal alive to any magnetic surface.

Zero to Sixty

A cheetah can accelerate from a standstill to highway speed in about three seconds, reaching roughly 64 mph. The chase is brief — usually under a minute — because its body overheats and tires fast.

Tear Marks

The black ‘tear lines’ running from the eyes to the mouth, faithfully painted on this bust, are thought to cut glare from the sun, much like the dark stripes athletes paint under their eyes.

Built Like a Sprinter

Its claws only partly retract, gripping the ground like the spikes on a running shoe, and its small, light head keeps weight low. It trades raw power for speed, which is why lions and hyenas often steal its meals.

A Cat That Chirps

Cheetahs cannot roar. Instead they purr, hiss and make a bird-like chirp to call to their cubs. With only about 7,000 left in the wild, the species is listed as Vulnerable.