Moment cheetah MEOWS like a kitten! Video of deadly predator sounding like a cute cat leaves wildlife fans stunned
- People are shocked to learn that cheetahs cannot roar, but instead meow like cats
Cheetahs are known as the fastest animal on earth… but there is a softer side to these deadly predators.
Despite their fearsome reputation for speed, the sound they make is considerably less threatening than the mighty roar of a lion.
People are shocked by a video showing cheetahs meowing like house cats instead of roaring in the same way as other big cats, such as lions.
The fastest animal in the world, cheetahs, can reach blistering speeds of up to 120 km/h.
The clip, posted to TikTok by @ryenyx03, lasts 12 seconds and shows a cheetah meowing at an unknown person in the background.
People are shocked by a video showing cheetahs meowing like house cats instead of roaring in the same way as other big cats, such as lions
Cheetahs meow like the domestic cats that many of us love and adore as pets, as they are both part of the same subfamily of small cats known as Felinae
The video, which has been viewed more than 5.9 million times on TikTok, left other users in awe of the spotted predator.
One user replied: ‘AWW I need a cheetah’.
A second said: ‘I love them’.
A third simply added: “cute.”
Cheetahs meow like the domestic cats that many of us love and adore as pets, as they are both part of the same subfamily of small cats known as Felinae.
Felinae’s voice box is fixed, with vocal cords that vibrate as they breathe in and out, allowing them to purr, but this prevents them from roaring.
Other members of the Felinae family include species such as the Eurasian lynx, bobcat, and puma.
In contrast, other big cats such as lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars all belong to the subfamily Pantherinae.
The structure of the larynx of these big cats includes large muscles and a long vocal fold, which allows them to roar.
These cats also have a fixed voice box, with a ligament in their throat that helps them produce an intimidating roar.