Ferraris and Cheetahs

What kind of vehicle does your family own? An SUV? A truck? A van? Maybe a sports car? Different cars accelerate at different rates. Imagine a race between a van and a sports car. Which one would win? Well, the sports car, of course! That’s because sports cars have very strong engines that help them speed up in just a few seconds. In fact, one of the fastest sports cars in the world is named after Enzo Ferrari, and it can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in just 3.1 seconds!

Now, let’s put that Ferrari in the same kind of race . . . with a cheetah! Which one do you think could speed up faster? Yes! The cheetah! Faster by 0.1 seconds, that speedy cat would win the race!

The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the entire world and can run at speeds of up to 70 miles (112 kilometers) per hour. It’s almost impossible for anything to escape from a cheetah, and that’s really bad news for any animal that’s being pursued by this hungry cat. But there’s hope, because cheetahs have very small hearts and can run fast for only about 60 seconds before they start to get tired. The best chance a gazelle or a young wildebeest has is to run around in circles or zigzags, because the cheetah can run fast only if it’s running in a straight line, and running in circles slows them down! Cheetahs are smart, though. They know that if they can get close enough, they can stick out their front paw and trip their prey, making them fall.

A cheetah’s long claws dig into the ground while they’re running, giving them great traction—just like the cleats on a baseball or soccer player’s shoes! And even though they are excellent hunters, cheetahs are successful in catching their prey only 50 percent of the time. That’s because their small heart can’t provide enough energy to their body, and they tire out quickly.

Do you ever feel as though you’re chasing things that are important to you, such as good grades, a spot on the basketball team, or maybe a closer relationship with God? Our hearts should be so filled with faith in Him that we are sure He will provide everything we need. Ask God to give you a big heart to pursue worthwhile goals, and He will!

Remember 2 Timothy 2:22: “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (ESV).*

*Texts credited to ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This nature story is used with permission from littlelightkids.com and Kids Club for Jesus.