08-29-2025, 05:25 PM
Four Kenyan villagers once chased and captured two live cheetahs that had been killing their goats for weeks.
The incident happened in Wajir, northeastern Kenya, in November 2013. The cheetahs had already killed 15 goats belonging to a man named Nur Osman Hassan. Desperate to stop the losses, the men came up with a plan.
They waited until the hottest part of the day, when cheetahs tire faster, and then launched a pursuit. The chase lasted about four miles (6.4 km) across the dry scrub. Cheetahs are the fastest land animals, capable of speeds up to 104 km/h (64 mph), but only for short bursts. Unlike humans, they overheat quickly and cannot sustain long-distance runs.
Eventually, the exhausted cheetahs collapsed and were unable to run any farther. The villagers tied them up and handed them over to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
Speaking to the BBC, Hassan said: “The cheetahs killed most of my goats, and I need compensation.”
This remarkable case highlights the ongoing human-wildlife conflict in Kenya, where predators like cheetahs and lions sometimes attack livestock, putting rural farmers in economic hardship. Wildlife experts note that while cheetahs are deadly sprinters, human endurance running—especially in high heat—can outlast them.
The incident happened in Wajir, northeastern Kenya, in November 2013. The cheetahs had already killed 15 goats belonging to a man named Nur Osman Hassan. Desperate to stop the losses, the men came up with a plan.
They waited until the hottest part of the day, when cheetahs tire faster, and then launched a pursuit. The chase lasted about four miles (6.4 km) across the dry scrub. Cheetahs are the fastest land animals, capable of speeds up to 104 km/h (64 mph), but only for short bursts. Unlike humans, they overheat quickly and cannot sustain long-distance runs.
Eventually, the exhausted cheetahs collapsed and were unable to run any farther. The villagers tied them up and handed them over to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
Speaking to the BBC, Hassan said: “The cheetahs killed most of my goats, and I need compensation.”
This remarkable case highlights the ongoing human-wildlife conflict in Kenya, where predators like cheetahs and lions sometimes attack livestock, putting rural farmers in economic hardship. Wildlife experts note that while cheetahs are deadly sprinters, human endurance running—especially in high heat—can outlast them.