Sarah, the world’s fastest cheetah dies in Ohio zoo

Her record is unbeaten even by humans.  Usain Bolt, the Jamaican Olympic medal holder was three seconds slower than Sarah in the 100 metres dash, say officials. She ran 100 meters in 5.95 seconds, or 61 mph during the filming of a National Geographic special, beating her previous world record of 6.13 seconds in 2009.  Sarah was brought to Ohio at the age of six weeks and raised by Cathryn Hilker, founder of the Zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program. 

She was one of the first cheetah cubs to be raised with a puppy companion, named Alexa, a now-common practice intended to serve as a calming influence. “She lived a full life and was a phenomenal ambassador for her species,” said Linda Castaneda, lead trainer. 

Castaneda added that Sarah had a “very expressive face” that communicated what she wanted. The population of cheetahs has shrunk to an estimated 9,000-12,000 worldwide compared with about 100,000 in 1900, zoo officials said.