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Cheetah |
Cheetahs
Q: What is the situation around the status of the cheetah?
"The world's fastest land animal, the sleek and long-legged cheetah, Acinonyx Jubatus, is losing its race for survival. Once a common animal found on five continents, the cheetah is now an Endangered Species. Losses of habitat, conflict with humans, as well as its own loss of genetic variation, are the main threats facing the cheetah today. The cheetah needs large expanses of land to survive, but with changes in land use and habitat pressures, such as bush encroachment, this area is becoming smaller and smaller. Unfortunately, captive breeding efforts have not proven meaningful to the cheetah's hopes of survival. Cheetahs can reach speeds of over 70 mph, but are extremely clumsy fighters. The result is that although the cheetahs are the best hunters in Africa, they lose much of their prey to the more aggressive predators, such as lions and hyenas, who chase them away and steal their food.
The number of cheetahs has decreased from 100,000 at end of the 19th century to approximately 10,000 today. The cheetah has suffered from inbreeding, high infant mortality, loss of habitat, a reduction in its prey base, conflicts with livestock farming, and a reduced ability to survive in parks and reserves due to the presence of larger predators. Yet, despite all these problems, the cheetah is the oldest of the big cats, and has survived the longest. If we can provide a habitat and a rich prey-base for cheetahs on the livestock farmlands of southern Africa, the cheetah's race will be one of survival, not extinction."
Laurie Marker