According to recent estimates, there are only 7,500 to 10,000 cheetahs left in the wild. Cheetahs are currently classified as ‘vulnerable.’ In the last four decades, the population has declined by about 50 percent. This article will explore the causes of cheetah decline, examine current conservation efforts, and discuss potential solutions for reversing their decline.
The three primary causes of cheetah decline are habitat loss, poaching and illegal trade, and human-wildlife conflict. Cheetah populations are facing threats resulting in dramatic decline. As human populations grow, more land is converted for agricultural use, leaving less habitat for wildlife. This has led to an increase in human-wildlife conflict.
There are just 7,100 cheetahs left in the wild. Southern and Eastern Africa are the strongholds of the current cheetah population. The Asiatic cheetah is almost extinct. Allowing humans and cheetahs to coexist in a changing world might establish livestock enclosures and offer funding to farmers who may have lost livestock. The Serengeti Project is the longest-running project on cheetahs documenting yearly sightings and population numbers.
Cheetahs are apex predators, keeping prey populations in check, supporting local ecosystems. Without cheetahs, herbivore numbers would rise more vegetation would be eaten, resulting in greater soil erosion and less drinking water affecting the ecosystem. We need to protect cheetahs and ecosystems by bringing these big cats back from extinction.
The cheetah is listed by the IUCN as a threatened species with about 6,500 mature individuals remaining, continuing to decline. This number reduced from approximately 100,000 cheetahs in 1900 to 40,000 in 1960. The species is now restricted to less than 10 percent of its historical distribution, surviving in just 33 populations. For populations with information, most are declining. The worsening threat status of cheetahs should act as a wake-up call.
What are 5 interesting facts about cheetahs?
Cheetahs are the fastest land animals in the world. They belong to the cat family. Their body is built for speed. Cheetahs give birth to litters of cubs. There are different types of cheetahs. Cheetahs rely on their tails to maneuver at high speeds. The word “cheetah” has two meanings. Cheetahs have evolved adaptations that enhance their speed. They are the planet’s fastest land animals. Cheetahs usually live in groups. They are diurnal and hunt during the daytime.
How big are cheetahs?
The cheetah reaches 67–94 cm at the shoulder. It is the fastest land animal, capable of running at 80 to 98 km/h. Four subspecies are recognised today that are native to Africa and central Iran.
The cheetah has a bite force of 475 pounds. It suggests that the cheetah has a very powerful jaw.
Male and female cheetahs have little size difference. A cheetah is between 45 – 53 inches in body length. The long tail acts as a rudder. When the cheetah bounds forward, it spends over half its time with all four paws off the ground.
The cheetah is a medium-sized cat.
An 11-year old cheetah named “Sarah” managed to run 100 meters in 5.95 seconds while reaching 61 mph.
The cheetah, known as Acinonyx jubatus, is an impressive creature. To start with, a fully grown adult cheetah stands at 2.6 to 3 feet tall at the shoulder. However, their body length can reach up to 5.5 feet. Adult cheetahs weigh between 75 to 143 pounds.
An adult cheetah weighs 75 to 140 pounds, is 30 inches tall at the shoulder and 44 to 56 inches long with another 26 to 33 inches in tail length.
Cheetahs can reach speeds up to 70 miles per hour, making them the fastest land animals. Cheetahs are carnivores, feeding mainly on gazelles and impalas.
Everything from the small head to the slender body contributes to a cheetah’s speed.
There are fewer than 7,000 adult cheetahs remaining in the wild. Cheetahs are famous for their tawny coats and bold stripes.
In human care, the average lifespan is 12 to 15 years.
The cheetah is the fastest land animal. With a long, slender body specially built for speed, the cheetah is of the genus Acinonyx. They are considerably smaller than other animals in the cat family.
What do cheetahs like to eat?
Cheetahs are carnivores. They eat meat. In the wild, cheetahs hunt medium-sized animals that live in their habitat. Since cheetahs are medium-sized cats with great speed, they mainly hunt prey that can be taken down quickly. Cheetahs have to rest for 30 minutes after running fast before they can eat.
Cheetahs prefer to eat gazelles, impalas, springboks, and other small to mid-sized antelopes. When food is scarce, they eat small animals like rodents, hares, and birds. Asiatic cheetahs living in deserts eat wild goats and chinkaras. Cheetahs are not picky eaters. When bigger prey is unavailable, they survive on small prey like insects.
Cheetah cubs eat differently than adults. Cubs cannot run fast or protect themselves. So adult cheetahs must catch prey for them. At six months cubs start hunting small gazelles and hares. By 15 months they normally succeed at hunting.
In zoos, cheetahs eat beef, horse meat or other meaty food. Cheetahs rely on speed and camouflage to catch prey. Then they suffocate the prey by clamping its windpipe. Cheetahs have bodies streamlined for speed. Their paw pads and claws provide traction when running. Large nostrils and lungs allow them to breathe quickly while hunting.
Lions, leopards, hyenas and eagles try to eat baby cheetahs. Cheetahs abandon kills to these stronger predators. So cheetahs often go hungry, surviving on small prey until bigger prey becomes available again.