Many people here the slogan about cheetahs running for their survival, and it is true. What else can the fastest land mammal do but run? The greatest threat to cheetahs right now other than human-wildlife conflict is the illegal pet trade where cheetahs are taken from the wild and sold as items of exoticness or monetary value. Because many people are unaware of how to care for cheetahs, they harm themselves or the animal, leading to deformities that make them unable to return to the wild! Cheetahs can run so fast because of many of their features: their flexible spine, their lack of mass, their muscles being thin and flexible, their tail for counterbalance, their semi-circular and rough foot pads for traction, and their semi-retractable claws that grasp the ground easily.