Digital Safari: Why do cheetahs have 'tear tracks'?

Editor's note: For an entire month starting August 17, CGTN will be bringing this year's Great Wildebeest Migration to your living room with our new series "Digital Safari." Let's jump onboard and get to know more about these amazing wild animals and the wonderful nature.

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Cheetahs are amazingly elegant big cats with something especially mesmerizing about their appearance. They have distinctive black markings which run from the inner corner of the eye to the mouth.

The distinctive black markings on cheetah's face. /VCG

According to an African legend, the marks originated from a female cheetah who cried for months for her missing cubs. Her tears formed two permanent tear marks which were passed on to her new cubs. Scientists say that the marks actually help reflect the sun during the cheetah's daytime hunting and help them focus better when running after their prey. As we know, the cheetah is one of the fastest land animals, capable of reaching speeds of up to 120km/h. With the black lines, cheetahs won't get blinded by harsh sunlight like we do.

Cheetahs are diurnal, so they usually hunt in the morning or late afternoon. /VCG

Cheetahs are known for their incredible speed. /VCG

A cheetah running after a gazelle. /VCG

Cheetahs eat gazelles, impalas and smaller hoofed animals. /VCG

Besides the distinctive "tear lines," cheetahs also have a body made for speed. They have a large chest, long legs, a narrow waist, a small head with enlarged nostrils and a long tail which can act as a counterbalance during sharp turns. Cheetahs' hearts, livers and lungs are also enlarged to allow them to run fast. But compared with other big cats, the cheetah's teeth are smaller and their jaws are weaker, so sometimes they can't defend their prey.

Different from other big cats, cheetahs have very poor night-vision and can't climb trees. They also can't roar, instead, cheetahs vocalize through a loud purr.

Female cheetahs can give birth to a litter of up to eight cubs. What's interesting is that the cubs in the same litter can have different fathers since the female cheetah can mate with different males within a few days.

A cheetah mother and her cubs. /VCG

Cheetah cubs are very vulnerable and depend on their mother to protect them. /VCG

Cheetah cubs have silvery strip of fur on their back which can camouflage them. /VCG

Sadly, due to the loss of habitat and genetic variation as well as over-hunting, the population of the cheetah is decreasing alarmingly, making it a vulnerable species. International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that there are only 6,674 mature cheetahs in the world.

For more:

Digital Safari: What do jackals eat?

Digital Safari specal page