When the cheetah sees a herd of gazelle (or whatever prey item), they hone in on the one they want. Then they hunch down (often with their bellies close to the ground) and creep in close as they can. When they feel they are close enough to catch it before it can get away, they break into an all out run straight for the animal. As they close in on the animals rear haunches, they swipe its rear hip or legs with their paw in order to knock its feet out from under it (sort of like the police do the "pit maneuver" on a vehicle during a high-speed chase). Once the animal tumbles the Cheetah goes in for the throat with its jaws and suffocates its prey. Sometimes a cheetah will see a singled off gazelle (or other antelope) and go in to investigate. This often means a female has gone off from the herd to give birth. The cheetah knows she this and takes full advantage of her vulnerability while giving birth or goes for the calf as it is an easier meal to catch. His preference is the calf, but food is food and he can't afford to be picky when survival is at stake.
