They are not aggressive toward other cheetahs, but if they see another nearby, they usually walk away or hide. Males, on the other hand, often live in permanent groups. In fact, males often hunt and eat together, but they do not help to raise the cubs. It can achieve such speeds partly because its flexible back and limb joints give it a long and rapid stride. Consequently, the cheetah can only hunt effectively in open country where there is enough natural cover for stalking.
Cheetahs begin by stalking prey for a few seconds or up to several hours.
When the prey is within 100 feet, the chase begins. About half of all chases end with the prey being suffocated by a throat bite. Its speed allows the cheetah to prey upon animals much larger than itself, but generally cheetahs prey on medium-sized animals such as gazelles and impala. Estimates of the remaining population of cheetahs range from about 20,000 to 25,000, perhaps only half as many cheetahs as in 1960. Although cheetahs are widely protected, poaching and trade in skins continues.