What Is The Fastest Animal On Earth?

The fastest animal living on the Earth is not the panther as some might assume. It is in fact the falcon, which can travel at an amazing 208 kilometers per hour (130 mph). This will leave a cheetah or gazelle standing in the dust!

The answer certainly surprised researchers at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, who tracked the diving speeds of a tame gyrfalcon (JER-falcon), an Arctic falcon named Kumpan. They used a telescope attached to a computer specially designed by the zoologist Vance Tucker to record Kumpan's location and speed.

Baby falcons are called eyasses and are covered with a white down when they are born. The down is soon replaced by feathers after about five weeks. Although falcons have a high mortality rate, many can live up to 15 years. For years falcons have been used in sports and it was often considered to be a symbol of status to own a falcon.

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