Four legs good?

The cat that cries was probably stifling a laugh recently, when a man--albeit a fast man--challenged one of the world's fastest land animals to a race. It seemed like a recipe for disaster from the start. Bryan Habana, one of South Africa's most beloved rugby stars, pitted against ... a cheetah (0 to 60 in three seconds, mind you). Sure, the 23-year-old Habana runs the 100 meters in about 11 seconds, and is touted for being one the fastest wingers to ever play the sport, but come on.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

It doesn't end there. To prevent the animal from attacking Habana, race officials hired a Hollywood stunt crew, which tied an eight-pound leg of lamb attached to a teddy bear to the end of a string, to make the cheetah run =- and distract the animal from Habana's ankles. If that wasn't enough, officials with tranquilizer guns lined the track.

And, for what? Charity, of course. The De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust, a conservation nonprofit based in South Africa, hoped the (mismatched) race would raise awareness to the plight of the cheetah. An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 are believed to remain in the wild.

Oh, surprise: the cheetah won and Habana didn't become dinner for the winner.