Newborn cheetah cubs come equipped with a long, fluffy, silvery-grey mantle that runs from the top of the head down the neck and back. This may help the cub blend into tall grass, giving it a resemblance to a honey badger. In the African savanna, where young cubs are especially vulnerable to predators like lions, hyenas, and eagles, this silver coat could serve as camouflage and possibly a form of visual deterrence.​

Cheetah cubs weigh only a few hundred grams at birth and face steep odds, with survival rates in the wild estimated as low as 10 percent in their first year. Any advantage can make a big difference while their mother is away hunting. Cubs keep the silvery mantle for their first three months, shedding it as they grow stronger and start relying more on speed than deception. During those early, fragile weeks, that fluffy disguise might be keeping them alive.​