A captive cheetah performs a mock run to maintain its hunting instinct. [Photo/China Daily]

Laurie Marker has no doubts about the future of the big cat with the black spots. "Cheetahs are vulnerable, and their survival is in our hands."

The 62-year-old American living in Namibia since 1991 has devoted her life to saving the fastest land animal on earth, with a top speed of 70 miles (110 kilometers) per hour.

Marker has been compared to Jane Goodall and the late Dian Fossey－defenders of chimpanzees and gorillas－who were the first generation of iconic female pioneers of wildlife conservation in Africa.

When Marker first visited Namibia on the southwest coast of Africa nearly 40 years ago, she was shocked to discover farmers were mercilessly killing the graceful sprinter of the plains.