Mammal news: Cheetah and speed; Monks and Snow Leopards; and Leadbeater’s Possum under threat

A few interesting articles I’ve seen recently

Jon

Cheetahs may be the world’s fastest sprinters, but it is their blinding acceleration—faster than a Lamborghini’s—and their phenomenal athleticism, rather than their famous top speed of over 60 miles per hour (96.5 kilometers per hour), that is the true key to their hunting success http://focusingonwildlife.com/news/a-cheetah-can-get-you-without-hitting-top-speed/

Tibetan monks could be the key to safeguarding the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) from extinction, according to an innovative program by big cat NGO Panthera which is partnering with Buddhist monasteries deep in leopard territory. Listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, snow leopard populations have dropped by a fifth in the last 16 years or so. http://focusingonwildlife.com/news/tibetan-monks-partner-with-conservationists-to-protect-the-snow-leopard/

Australia’s leading scientific expert on the endangered Leadbeater’s possum has publicly lambasted the Victorian state government, claiming it is the first ever domestic administration to take “calculated actions” that it knew could wipe out a threatened species. http://focusingonwildlife.com/news/scientist-australia-taking-calculated-actions-to-push-leadbeaters-possum-to-extinction/