EXCERPT

IN appearance the cheetah looks very much like a swift hound. Actually, fora long time it was believed to be a dog-cat, a connecting link between the two. However, it is a cat and a highly specialised one no doubt, evolved for prodigious speed to run down its prey. According to one tradition, it was able to soar and was classified together with birds of prey.... This high level of specialisation ensured that its most favoured habitat was one which allowed it to sprint with minimum obstruction to run down its prey.