The Captive Cheetah Who Ran 70MPH

What does it take for a cheetah to survive in the wild? 🐆

Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund Dr. Laurie Marker’s work with Khayam, an orphaned cheetah raised in captivity, was more than a personal journey; it was a scientific milestone in cheetah conservation. At just over a year old, Khayam was learning to hunt on the plains of Namibia, guided by Laurie’s hands-on approach to wildlife rehabilitation and behavioral science. That success became the foundation for decades of fieldwork, research, and global efforts to protect the cheetah from extinction.