Balau vs Fahad Sayad (الفهد الصياد)

Shorea lumutensis compared with Acinonyx jubatus

Key Differences

Balau is Critically Endangered while Fahad Sayad (الفهد الصياد) is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balau	Fahad Sayad (الفهد الصياد)
Kingdom	Plantae (نباتات)	Animalia (حيوانات)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (كاسيات البذور)	Chordata (حبليات)
Class	Magnoliopsida (ماغنولانية)	Mammalia (ثدييات)
Order	Malvales (خبازيات)	Carnivora (لواحم)
Family	Dipterocarpaceae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Shorea	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)
Species	Shorea lumutensis	Acinonyx jubatus

Conservation Status

Balau

CR — Critically Endangered

Fahad Sayad (الفهد الصياد)

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balau	Fahad Sayad (الفهد الصياد)
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	12 years
Average Length	—	1.5 m
Average Weight	—	50.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balau

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Fahad Sayad (الفهد الصياد)

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Botswana, Iran, Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Balau

The Balau (Shorea lumutensis) is a species in the genus Shorea. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Fahad Sayad (الفهد الصياد)

The fastest land animal on Earth, reaching speeds of 112 km/h over short distances across African and Iranian grasslands. Slender build with a deep chest, long legs, and distinctive black tear-stripe markings. Unlike other big cats, cheetahs vocalize with chirps and purrs. Vulnerable, with only ~7,000 remaining due to habitat fragmentation and competition with larger predators.