A cheetah is the fastest land animal and can run up to 75 mph. It is part of the cat family and hunts small prey like gazelles and impalas. Cheetah populations have declined drastically due to habitat loss, predation of cubs by other animals, and hunting by humans for their fur. Conservation efforts by children raising money have helped increase cheetah numbers from an estimated 100,000 in the late 1800s to around 20,000 today.