Cheetahs.

JOHANNESBURG - The cheetah, the world's fastest land animal, survived mass extinction during the last ice age 10,000 years ago. But it has taken just the last few decades for man to place the hunter on the endangered species list, with experts warning it could disappear from the wild by 2030. Unlike rhinos and elephants, the cheetah is not a target in Africa's poaching bloodbath. But it is the only big cat to adapt poorly in wildlife reserves as its natural habitat is increasingly wiped out. "Cheetahs don't do well in ...

The Tama Zoo in Tokyo, Japan, is celebrating what is both an adorable and a very rare new birth in their park. Five cheetah cubs were born there on Jan. 6, and two of the newborns have the distinct and rare mutation that makes them "king" cheetahs, according to "Today." Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy A king cheetah is a cheetah whose spots appear merged into splotches that look like stripes. The pattern results from a recessive gene that both parents must carry, making it very rarely seen in captivity and almost never seen in the wild. Only six king cheetahs have ever been observed in the wild, according to CheetahSpot.com. SEE MORE ...

MOSCOW - A cheetah attacked and seriously injured a seven-year-old boy at a travelling circus in the Moscow region, Russian investigators said Sunday. The cheetah attacked the son of circus staff after a performance in the town of Domodedovo on Saturday evening, goring his face and neck, the Investigative Committee said in a statement. The boy was hospitalised with wounds and blood loss and underwent emergency surgery, investigators said, adding that they were checking safety procedures at the circus. The injured boy ...