this is an article from 2012 but I just came across it and thought it was interesting. A cheetah which has no spots and basically looks like a skinny lioness. Cool photos on the link. The lesser-spotted cheetah: Rare big cat without traditional markings sighted in wild for first time in nearly 100 years | Daily Mail Online
Yes I remember seeing this when it was first reported. Very bizarre indeed. Years before this, Alain Dragesco-Joffe photographed a pale form of the Sahara Cheetah. It did have spots, but they were tan instead of black. I have the photos in a magazine but could not find them online anywhere.