‘Just incredible’: Zane the cheetah goes from zero to 70km/h in two seconds

Highway patrol officer David Romeike has clocked thousands of speeding vehicles, but setting his handheld speed gun on the world’s fastest land animal was something he won’t soon forget.

Sydney highway patrol officer David Romeike has clocked thousands of speeding vehicles, but setting his handheld speed gun on the world’s fastest land animal was something he won’t soon forget.

You can hear the 38kg cheetah before you see her streak past, her large paws pounding the savanna at the Wild Cat Conservation Centre – the largest cheetah habitat in Australia.

Seven-year-old Zane can go from zero to 70km/h in just two seconds – better acceleration than most cars – and she’s far sleeker.

Cheetahs are designed for speed, says centre director Ben Britton, with their long legs and streamlined body, claws that grip the ground and propel them, and a long tail for balance.

At the Hawkesbury valley centre, the enigmatic wild cats get to hone their animal instincts across the two-hectare savanna, and enjoy the thrill of the chase – even if it’s simply a pompom at the end of a lure.

Zane the cheetah can go from zero to 70km/h in just two seconds. Picture: Gregg Porteous

On a recent day, Senior Constable Romeike of Greater Western Sydney Highway Patrol paid a visit, training his police Lidar – light detection and ranging device – on Zane as she took her turn to play chase.

The radar is most accurate when standing straight on to a moving object, but that’s not wise with an apex predator so he stood off to the side as she chased the lure at speeds of just over 70 km/h.

Zane gets her speed checked by Senior Constable Dave Romeike. Picture: Gregg Porteous

“It was an amazing experience, and was done as part of a community engagement exercise between the highway patrol and the wild cat centre,” Senior Constable Romeike said.

“Seeing the speed and the agility of the cheetah – I was surprised at how quick she went from a seated position to a high speed and to cover so much ground so quickly. It was just incredible to watch.”

The public too can watch Zane and her fellow cheetahs – there are eight at the centre – in action during their weekly exercise routine as part of a pre-booked cheetah run experience.

Not a zoo, or wildlife park, this is more a centre for conservation. In November Mr Britton and his team welcomed Mirri, the first clouded leopard to be born in Australia, and last March they successfully released one of their cheetahs – Edie – into the wild in South Africa.

They’re preparing Edie’s siblings, Darcie and Ezra, to also head back to South Africa in April as part of a global conservation effort.

Senior Constable Dave Romeike shows his Lidar’s readings to Wild Cat Conservation Centre director Ben Britton. Picture: Gregg Porteous

“Our cheetahs run on our savanna a couple of times each per week. It builds lean muscle mass and it’s important when it comes to rewilding to make sure they are fit,” Mr Britton said.

“Like any athlete, they get quicker and faster the more they practice. Cheetahs have been known to get up to more than 90km/h in the wild. We’ve got our own radar which shows them reaching speeds of nearly 80km/h – it’s incredible to see with your own eyes.

“You hear them first – those heavy paws hitting the ground – and then you see them at full speed, clearing five to six metres with each strike without any part of them touching the ground.”

The remote-controlled lure system was designed in the UK to train birds of prey.

“The cheetahs we have here were all born in captivity, yet they all have the instinct – if something’s moving fast, they want to chase it,” Mr Britton said.

“That’s what they were born to do and it’s sad if they never get that chance. We never get sick of watching them here.”

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Originally published as ‘Just incredible’: Zane the cheetah goes from zero to 70km/h in two seconds