There are fewer than 8,000 cheetahs left in the world

Cheetahs are the world's fastest land animal and are one of the most well known big cats in the animal kingdom. Despite their fame, new research shows that there are only about 7,100 cheetahs remaining in the world. Cheetahs have lost over 90% of their historic habitat, which used to span large areas in Africa and southwest Asia. Part of the problem has to do with the cheetahs large habitat, usually encompassing around 900 square miles. Given the severity of their dwindling numbers, the species will soon be classified as "endangered" instead of "vulnerable."