Video: Cheetah Sets New Speed Record

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - The Cincinnati Zoo's 8-year-old female cheetah, Sarah, is now the world's fastest land mammal.

On Wednesday zoo officials say Sarah claimed her spot in the record book when she ran a 100-meter sprint in only 6.13 seconds. The previous world record was 6.19 seconds set in 2001 by a cheetah living in South Africa.

By comparison, the world's fastest human, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, recently ran the 100-meter dash in 9.58 seconds.

Cheetahs are built for speed. They have a flexible spine that allows their front legs to stretch far on each side. That allows them to run 20 to 22 feet in one stride. Zoo experts say the fastest racehorse runs 43 miles per hour, while cheetahs can run at speeds up to 70 miles per hour.

According to the Associated Press the cat was clocked at the zoo's Regional Cheetah Breeding Facility in southwest Ohio's Clermont County. The Road Running Technical Council of USA Track & Field certified the course.

Each year Cincinnati zookeepers take Sarah out for a run at speeds that can't be matched in captivity. About the experience of seeing the big cat run, Cathryn Hilker, the founder of the Cat Ambassador Program, said it gives her goosebumps.

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