Watch Rare Footage of a Cheetah Racing a Greyhound Dog

Key Points:

• In this video, the cheetahs are actually chasing bait that is being pulled in on a line from a person standing on the other side.
• It is quite surprising when you realize that although the cheetah had a massive head start due to its speed, the greyhound manages to catch up to the cheetah toward the end of the race.
• This sport was outlawed shortly after because there was a ban on gambling on animals.

It’s 1939 and apparently, racing cheetahs against greyhounds was a form of sport. This is an old video so it’s in black and white. The music and the announcer are very old-timey, likely creating some nostalgia for those of you who enjoy the happenings of this era. Watch the since-banned sport of racing cheetahs against greyhounds below.

Check Out the Video!

Cheetahs are known for their remarkable speeds. If you’re not familiar with these two animals, you may think there’s absolutely no match when it comes to a cheetah versus a greyhound. However, although cheetahs can reach speeds upwards of 60 miles per hour, they can only sustain that speed for a short while.

On the other hand, greyhounds are also quite fast. But they can only reach speeds upwards of 40 miles per hour. The difference is that they can maintain that speed for a longer period of time. This is what gives them an edge when it comes to racing against a cheetah. Ultimately, it’s a competition between speed and endurance.

The first image in the video is of a man golfing. Then, you see a couple of cheetahs in cages lined up. They don’t seem to be protesting their confinement and sit rather calmly, even looking out at the camera, as they peer out of their cages. They seem to know what they’re there for.

The next scene cuts to those cages being opened and those cheetahs running at full speed to the other side of the space. There is a full audience in the stands and several canopies surround the main area of this show.

On the other side, you get a better view. The cheetahs are actually chasing bait that is being pulled in on a line from a person standing on the other side. There is one cheetah that is obviously faster and manages to reach the prize.

Then, you get to see a cheetah race a greyhound. They’re both running as fast as they can, and it is quite surprising when you realize that although the cheetah had a massive head start due to its speed, the greyhound manages to catch up to the cheetah toward the end of the race.

This sport was outlawed shortly after because there was a ban on gambling on animals. However, it didn’t show much promise, anyway. The fact is that cheetahs, like most cats, do what they want when they want. Trying to entice them to keep up with racing started proving unsustainable.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Marcel Brekelmans/Shutterstock.com