Cheetahs, Ultimate Speed Demons
In Cheetahs, Ultimate Speed Demons, naturalist Steve Backshall runs a footrace with a cheetah. Then he reviews slow motion video footage of a cheetah running to explain how the cheetah is able to accelerate so quickly. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.
Lesson Express
Q: Why is Blitz at the sanctuary?
A: He was a pet and can’t be released because he is too tame
Q: How might filming in slow motion help them understand why the cheetah is so fast?
A: The slow motion camera can capture details in the cheetah’s movement.
Q: What about the cheetah’s position helps it move so fast?
A: The cheetah’s ears are back against its head and its spine is moving.
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In What Does the Cheetah See?, naturalist Steve Backshall attaches a camera to a cheetah’s head to experience what it sees when it is chasing prey. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.

In Cheetah Cubs and Camouflage, narrator Gordon Buchanan describes intense rivalry among predators competing for food in the Serengeti. Cheetah cubs are at risk of being killed by lions and hyenas. They rely on their camouflage to protect them until they can develop speed to outrun danger. The cheetah cub and serval kittens play fight to learn self-defense skills. This video is excerpted from BBC's Animal Babies, a heartwarming show that follows the first breaths, first steps, and first feeds of some adorable baby animals, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest but most beautiful places on the planet.

In Endangered Big Cat Conservation Around the World, host Simon Reeve visits two conservationists in Russia and Namibia who are tirelessly working to protect Amur tigers and cheetahs. This video is excerpted from BBC's Incredible Journeys With Simon Reeve, a series that highlights one journalist’s travels across the globe and the diverse cultures and peoples he meets along the way.

In Cheetah Brothers Work Together to Hunt, narrator Sir David Attenborough follows three cheetah brothers living in Mount Kenya as they try to hunt zebras. At first, their plan falls apart when one cheetah is blocked by a big zebra, and the others miss their targets. Realizing they need to work together, the brothers switch their focus to a lone ostrich, which is faster and heavier than any of them. But by teaming up, the cheetahs finally succeed in catching their prey. This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.