In this episode of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, Peter Gros journeys to Otjiwarongo, Namibia — the cheetah capital of the world — to meet the world's fastest land animals and find out what's being done to save them.

Ask Peter your cheetah questions now. He'll answer them shortly after the premiere of "Cheetah: Race Against Time." (March 13th - 7:00PM EST) Get a reminder.

To Post your question, please click "post reply".

I am SOOO excited ! I love Cheetahs SO MUCh . It should not be sad like the first episode .

I love cheetahs also.

My question is, is it possible for Cheetahs to be rehabilitated in the great prairy plains of the U.S. heartland? Could they survive there? And can/how can it be done?

I would think since they wouldn't have to deal with Lions and other larger predators, they would be the dominate predator there, plus, there's plenty of open space for them to roam free, (similar to their natural habitat) and with an abundance of rabits and possibly bison, the prairie would be a good habitat.

I'd like to hear what the experts think.

I can't wait for this weeks show!! I looove Cheetahs! Lots of praise to the woman dedicated to save them. That means so much to me. I wish I could do something!

It saddens me to see how many animals of the world are either extinct or endangered.If there is anything at all that i can do to help,please let me know what it is i can do.

My Question is if they can go to 0-70 mph how long does it take for them to stop?

How can we help these animals? I send money to WWF, but don't know what else to do. I feel powerless. Any suggestions?

I think cheetahs are one of the most amazing animails on the planet.
However, from what I understand about them, they are not being threatened by human beings as much as they are by other predators like hyenas and lions.

If there extinction is, in fact, due to their inability to compete with other predators, is there much we as humans can do. And, more importantly, should we interfere?

And, as much as I like the idea of cheetahs being introduced to the American Great Plains, won't introducing another species into an ecosystem they don't belong in screw things up?

cheatahfanman asks: "Is it possible for cheetahs to be rehabilitated in the great prairy plains of the U.S. heartland?"

Due to the development in America's heartland, I don't personally think it would be possible, for a couple of reasons. First, I don't think there's the necessary non-domestic prey base for them to survive. And secondly, with the crisscrossing of fences and highways, and being that the average cheetah needs roughly a 250-square-mile range, I would think it would be a very stressful challenge for wild cheetahs to survive. However, I am pleased to see how well reintroduction is working in Africa.

peter55555 and elamby ask: "How can we help these animals?"

First, I highly recommend contacting the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Their Web site is www.cheetah.org. Also, try checking with your local zoo -- many zoos in the United States are involved with a species survival program, which can sometimes use volunteers to help educate zoo visitors.

dodi954 asks: "If they can go to 0-70 mph how long does it take for them to stop?"

Very quickly, in under two seconds. The chase usually culminates when they reach their prey. (They have success capturing prey less than 50 percent of the time.) They have long nails and dog-like feet, and a long, flat tail, which they use like a rudder -- these aid them greatly in making abrupt stops and turns.

I'll be back on Monday to answer more questions. Enjoy Sunday's show!

how can people kill such beutiful animals.Cheetahs need to live like us it is bad to kill cheetahs. How do people manage to wear cheetah clothing when they are killing the cheetah species and if they come extinct im going to be so mad at the people who made cheetahs come extinct even though im 13 i can help if you need h elp i just love cheetahs

[This message was edited by alexis13 on 03-12-05 at 01:20 PM.]

[This message was edited by alexis13 on 03-12-05 at 01:21 PM.]

Thank you for answering my question.

I have another curious question.

What is the relationship on encounters between cheetah's and humans? Have Cheetahs ever been documented to attack humans-whether it be mistaking them for a food source or just out of the blue, or in defense of territory? What is this relationship?

In terms of look, how do you distinguish in Africa, between a cheetah and a leopard? Jaguar
has different spot formation, but cheetah and leopard both seemed to have the same-looking spots. Please advise. Thanks.

The diffrence is that the lepord as diffrent markings than the cheeaths. GOOD that i could help

It's George here, the Calif Delegate from Kids Summit 2004. We've been waiting for this show ever since you told us about it at the Summit!

My class did research projects on endangered animals this year. Also we've found a Kangaroo Rat and are hoping that a population can be established so the recovery plan can begin. The museum here is now working on an exhibit which will feature locally endangered species.

I'm looking forward to the discussion after the show!

Dear Peter,

I have always loved and wanted to protect big cats. I plan for my lifes work to be conservation, especially of big cats. It said in the begining of the show that you used to breed endangered big cats in captivity. What do you do now and do you have any suggestions for someone starting to get into the conservation field? I do plan on contacting the Cheetah Conservation Fund to try and speak with Dr. Marker, as well as any other big cat conservation organizations...any other suggestions? Do you have your own web site? Thank you for you time and please thank Dr. Marker and her staff for all they do! I hate to think that we could loose yet another beautiful creature forever!

Sincererly,
Amy

I am currently studying in college to become a wildlife conservationist or biologist. I was curious to know what classes or experiences you would suggest to help me enter these careers? What is the best way to get into this line of work?

Great show! I really liked it and I think the dogs are really creative. I also like how they use the motorized chase on the preserve so the cheetahs can still act as naturally as possible, even if they can't be released 'wild'.

My question is are there any theories about why cheetah's prefer wild game to livestock? It seems livestock would be much easier to catch and they could eat more with less energy if they hunted them. With the new information that they don't, I was wondering why.

George

Have you heard of wild big cats having problems with FIV, FIP, Parvo, etc. due to domestic animals? I know there have been outbreaks among lions with distemper, but I have not heard about any other species in this respect.

Thanks again,
Amy

I liked the story about the lionness adopting the baby oryx. It was great. I never heard a story like that before but I did. It was incredible. Animal Lover 400