In India, the roar of the cheetahs may now be heard once more after seven long decades of extinction. On Saturday, a special cargo Boeing 747 chartered flight from Namibia that was carrying 8 cheetahs touched down at the Indian Air Force Station in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. On his 72nd birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the cheetahs into the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Although cheetahs, jaguars, and leopards are sometimes mistaken for one another, each of these large cays has its own unique characteristics. The Jaguars are the largest animals, while cheetahs are the quickest. Leopards can easily climb trees. Let’s examine some intriguing distinctions among the three large cats. The tiger, lion, panther, and cougar are among the other great cats.
Cheetahs:
The remarkable cheetahs are the fastest terrestrial mammals in the world, capable of accelerating from zero to over 96 km/h (60 mph) in under three seconds. Male cheetahs tend to be bigger than females, and an adult can weigh anything from 34 kg to 56 kg. Tawny (yellowish-brown or orange-brown in colour) fur is covered in small, black patches that vary from animal to animal. According to National Geographic, they also feature striking black rings around the ends of their bushy tails and stripes that run from the inner corners of their eyes to both sides of their lips, like tears. Of the three cats, cheetahs are the most vulnerable.
Jaguars:
Jaguars are the biggest of the three big cats—leopards, cheetahs, and Jaguars. After the tiger and the lion, they are regarded as the third largest cat in the world. Jaguars range in weight from 65 to 140 kg. However, there have also been extremely huge male jaguars and smaller females. The jaguar’s coat has a yellowish underside and is speckled with black dots. Its colour ranges from pale yellow to tan to reddish-yellow. While jaguars have rose-shaped markings on their body, similar to leopards, you will notice a black dot between the rosettes of the latter animal. Jaguars are excellent swimmers, yet they are not native to India.
Leopards:
Sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, and China all have leopard populations. These creatures, however, are mostly in risk of extinction outside of Africa. They can readily climb trees due to their well adapted muscular bodies. According to National Geographic, “Most leopards are light coloured with unique black markings that are called rosettes, since they resemble the form of a rose,” Additionally, these cats have broad heads and large skulls, and their legs are shorter than their lengthy bodies. They are the smallest of the huge cat species and may reach a maximum height of six feet. These wild cats spend a lot of time on trees. The snow leopard is a separate species that is only found in the alpine regions of Central and South Asia.
