Artwork of a sprinting cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Cheetahs hunt herbivores such as gazelles and zebras, creeping to within a few dozen metres of their prey before sprinting at them at up to 100 kilometres per hour. This makes the cheetah the fastest land animal, although it can only maintain this speed for about 500 metres. The cheetah is found in most of Africa south of the Sahara Desert, as well as parts of Arabia.