When the prey falls or is caught by the cheetah , then he bites the throat of the prey , so that it dies because it can not breathe . The cheetah can not defend itself against lions or hyenas who would take the cheetah 's prey away . When sprinting , the cheetah 's body temperature becomes so high that it would be deadly to continue ; this is why the cheetah is often seen resting after it has caught its prey .