Silhouette of African Cheetahs, Africa, 1999
Photograph by Chris Johns
A striking silhouette shows off the lithe form of a cheetah approaching a tree for a late afternoon slumber. The fastest land animal in the world, cheetahs once thrived in Africa and Asia, but lion predation haunts their young, and farms and ranching have reduced their habitat. Today an estimated 12,000 cheetahs live in 30 countries, helped by conservationists.
