Why do cheetahs eat their prey quickly after a kill?

Cheetahs consume their prey quickly after a kill primarily to avoid losing it to competitors. Because cheetahs are smaller and less aggressive than other large predators, they are frequent targets of kleptoparasitism, a feeding strategy where other animals steal food from the original hunter.12

In the wild, competitors such as lions, leopards, jackals, and hyenas often use their superior strength or numbers to drive cheetahs away from their hard-earned meals. By eating rapidly, the cheetah maximizes its intake before these stronger predators can arrive and displace them from the kill.12