Cheetahs, the bane of the life of wildebeest and many buck species. The fastest land animal, achieving speeds in excess of 112 kilometres per hour (70 mph). They do not have retractable claws like other cats, and their feet look similar to those of dogs.
There are no recorded cases of man-eaters, though a cheetah could easily kill a human. On one occasion, at a game farm near the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, a group of us stood chatting outside a cheetah enclosure. We were not paying attention to the animals when suddenly there was an almighty crash into the 12 foot storm-mesh fence right beside us. The fence leant over to half its height before springing back upright. We all got a huge fright. The cheetah must have seen we were not paying attention and thought it was an opportunity for an attack. While we were steadying our nerves, the cheetah calmly walked away as if nothing had happened.