Acinonyxphobia is the fear of cheetahs. People who suffer from it are afraid of cheetahs and anything that resembles a cheetah, which may include leopards, jaguars, and even ocelots. Those with this phobia are afraid of being attacked by a cheetah, as they are carnivorous felines that can run extremely fast and are known to hunt creatures much larger than humans. If they live near a zoo, they believe that a cheetah could easily sprint to their location and attack them at any moment.
One can help a person overcome this phobia by informing them that cheetahs are only native to Africa and Iran, are an endangered species, and cannot run at their maximum speed for more than seven seconds.
See also[]
- Ailurophobia - fear of cats