SAN DIEGO -- Brother and sister cheetahs are expected to be doing 0-60 mph in about 3.5 seconds at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park when its Cheetah Run Safari exhibit opens April 2.

The cats -- Majani and sister Kubali -- are capable of hitting 60 mph about as fast as any German or Italian sports car, but they might have finished behind a Ferrari at Saturday's preview, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"We didn't see Majani at his best today. But I can look you in the eye and tell you that you've been closer to a running cheetah than nearly anybody else in the world," animal trainer Mike Burke told the newspaper.

The cheetahs chase after a lure that looks like a rabbit.

Trainer Janet Ramsay showed off Majani for a preview crowd after her exhibition run Saturday. Some visitors even petted the toothy 130-pounder, getting close enough to hear his husky purr, The Times reported.

"His fur is kind of rough, but he's very cool," 10-year-old Jeffrey Richardson of Santee said.

Kubali is faster than her brother, but less sociable.

The hourlong shows, which also include speedy falcons and other cats, will be on Saturdays and Sundays and cost $69 per person, in addition to the park's $28.50 entry fee (for adults).

Cheetahs, which once roamed much of Africa, are now mostly in Namibia. They are among the most endangered species on the wildlife-rich continent.

The San Diego Zoo's Center for the Reproduction of Endangered Species has been working to breed the speedy felines.

About 125 have been born at the zoo, and most have been sent to other institutions. The zoo now has nine, not including the Wild Animal Park's show cats.

While they are meat-eating hunters, cheetahs, especially males, are more even tempered than many wild felines, animal experts said.

Majani even has a dog friend, a retriever mix named Clifford, who seems to tutor the cheetah in warming up to humans, The Times reported.

"When it comes to fight or flight, cheetahs choose flight," Ramsay said. "They don't see humans as food."