Issues Facing Cheetah
Survival - Past and Present
Cheetah Conservation Fund
The Prehistoric Range of the Cheetah
The Giant Cheetah, A. pardenis, roamed China,
southern Europe, and India in large numbers
during the Ice Age. It was as big as a lion and
ran as fast as the modern cheetah.
Acinonyx pleistocoenicus
Acinonyx studeri
Acinonyx trumani
Acinonyx pardenis
Acinonyx intermedius
Miracinonyx
(4 Million Years Ago)
(1.1 Million Years Ago)
Acinonyx jubatus
(200,000 years ago to present)
Evidence suggests that the cheetah evolved in North
America. The Miracinonyx appears to be the
common ancestor between the cheetah and the puma
(cougar). During the Ice Age, Miracinonyx migrated
across continents. Its decedents developed into the
cheetah we know today.
In a 5,000 Year History With Humans,
cheetahs were…
Revered by royalty
Worshipped as symbols
of speed
Used as hunting animals
in the sport of coursing
The cheetah is uniquely adapted for speed
Shoulder Blades not
attached
Pivoting hip bones
Flexible Spine
Long, heavy tail
Small,
streamlined head
Light skeleton
Semi-retractable
claws
Long leg bones
Grooves on pads for
traction
Enlarged heart, increased
lung capacity
Just how fast are cheetahs?
The Facts
The cheetah is the fastest land mammal on
earth and can easily outrun the fastest
human sprinter.
It can reach speeds of up to 110 km/hr
(about 70 mph) in seconds.
It can only maintain its speed for 400-500
meters before it overheats and will have to
rest for up to 30 minutes.
It can go from 0 to 80 km/hr in 3 seconds
(a Ferrari needs 4 seconds!).
At full speed, its stride is over 7m (or 23
feet)!
For half of its stride, no feet are on the
ground.
Cheetah Cubs
Cub Facts
Cheetahs can reproduce
after 20-23 months.
The gestation period is
about 3 months.
The average litter size is 45 cubs.
Cheetah Cubs 2
Cubs are born with a grey
mantle on their backs.
Perhaps it is mimicking the
vicious honey badger
Predators in Conflict
Predators are critical to health of all
ecosystems because they maintain balance
If predators were removed from an
ecosystem, what would happen?
• Antelope herds and other prey populations would
grow and grow.
• Only bad weather such as a drought, or disease
such as rabies, would slow down the prey’s
growth.
• The large prey populations would overeat their
food source and as the food disappeared, the
whole population would begin to starve.
Cheetahs are an example of a species
under threat by conflict with humans
• Since 1900
their numbers
have declined
by an estimated
90%
• Their fate is
now in human
hands
Cheetah populations that are critically endangered
?
?
?
?
• North Africa and Asia: A. j. venaticus (<500)
• West Africa: A. j. hecki (~500)
?
• Central Africa: A. j. soemmeringii
(500-1000)
?
Cheetah have become extinct
in at least 13 countries in the past 40 years…
these countries could be next.
Current Population Estimates
1900 – about 100,000
cheetahs across Africa, Asia,
and India
Kenya cheetah
population estimated at
less than 1,000
1975 – about 30,000
cheetahs in Africa, less than
500 in Iran
1990 – less than 15,000
cheetahs in Africa, less than
100 in Iran
2000 – about 12,500
Namibia cheetah
populations
estimated at less
than 3,000
cheetahs in Africa, about 50 in
Iran
Why do animals become
ENDANGERED?
Habitat loss
Introduced species
Pollution
Population
growth
Overconsumption
The Cheetah’s Challenges
• Conflict with larger predators in
protected game reserves
• Destruction of habitat and prey base
• Conflict with humans over livestock
• Low genetic variability
Conflict with larger predators in protected
game reserves
Cheetahs are built for speed, not power. This makes it easy
for other large predators such as lions, leopards, and
hyenas to steal their kills.
Because game reserves have many other large predators,
cheetahs are pushed out. 95% of all cheetahs live on
farmland.
This puts them in direct contact with humans!
Habitat Destruction
Overgrazing by livestock
turns the savannah from
normal grassland perfect for
cheetahs to dense bush like
below. Why do you think
cheetahs have a difficult
time in this new
environment?
A cheetah who has tried to run
through the dense bush
Loss of a suitable prey base
In order to make room for their
cattle to graze, farmers have tried
to clear their land of natural game
animals like these Oryx. The
cheetah prefers game animals to
livestock, but if there are no game
animals around, the cheetah will
have to turn to catching livestock.
This puts it in direct conflict
with farmers
Conflict with Humans Over Livestock
Farmers were killing 800 - 900 cheetahs a
year. Since 1980 more than 10,000
cheetahs have been removed from
Namibian farmlands.
Farming supports 70% of Namibians and 75%
of the land is used for livestock farming.
Genetic Problems
The Genetic Bottleneck
After the last ice age 10,000 years ago, most cheetahs
throughout the world disappeared. Only a very small
population in southern Africa survived.
With such a drastic reduction in numbers, close
relatives were forced to breed and the cheetah
became genetically inbred meaning all cheetahs are
closely related.
In most species, related individuals share about 80%
of the same genes. With cheetahs, this figure rises to
about 99%.
This lack of genetic variability has led to a large
number of animals dying at birth, poor sperm quality,
and greater susceptibility to disease.
Genetic variability is essential for a
species to survive!