that's a terrible slip. >> sarah is one of the stars of the cincinnati zoo's cat ambassador program in raise funds and awareness. >> we have bought land in africa to make it safe for the cheetah. we have given money to many cheetah projects in africa where cheetahs are saved from traps. this funny little zoo on the ohio river has made a big difference in cheetah conservation. >> on this june day, national geographic is using special slow-motion cameras racing alongside the cheetahs on a 410-foot track hoping to capture a new world record sprint. >> cheetahs are the fastest animal in the world because they are built for speed. >> hilker gets cheetahs to run fast in captivity by simulating the conditions in africa where cheetahs chase their prey. only her system uses an artificial lure. >> do you want this? >> that lure system, which we use to pull the string with the dog pulley on it -- so that pulls the string fast enough that the cat can chase it. good girl. >> the lure's movement has to be realistic enough to mimic actual prey on the run or the cheetah will lose interest and its rewa