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CyberDodo and the Cheetah (1-23)

The Cheetah 2/2

What does the Cheetah eat ?

He is a pure carnivore who only targets prey of a size that he can kill - either antelope, gazelles, wildebeests, impalas, hares and zebras, given that they weigh less than fifty or so kilos.

Reproduction and the Cheetah

The female Cheetah is pregnant with her babies around 3 months and her pregnancies sometimes involve up to eight cubs, but usually from 3 to 5. At birth, cheetah cubs are far from being super fast hunters and as powerful as they will become, they are completely blind and weigh between 150 to 300 grams. However, they grow quickly and after just one week, they will open their eyes and begin exploring their surroundings.

It is not easy being a baby cheetah since during the first 6 weeks of their life, they cannot follow their mother when she must leave them to go hunting . They are often the victim of predators which kill up to 90% of all cheetah litters .

Those who do survive will be weaned at 6 months but will stay with their mother for a long time, not leaving her until they are between 14 and 18 months old.

In the wild, cheetah cubs are often the victim of predators

Where are cheetahs found?

The great majority lives in Africa, with a few dozen living in the deserts of Iran.

How many cheetahs are there?

Estimates vary widely, but one thing is sure : if the world provided a habitat for more than 100,000 cheetahs at the beginning of the last centry, only 10,000 to 20,000 remain today !

The danger of extinction for this animal is thus very real. It is due to several factors :

First, there is a the impoverishment of their genetic capital given that the species was subject to a partial extinction approximately 10,000 years ago. Apparently due to a climate change, this event drastically impoverished the cheetah's genetic diversity which is indispensible to the maintenance of a healthy population.

Resultant inbreeding has also had significant negative effects with respect to the quality of their sperm and as such brought about a reduced resistance to various diseases and a reduction in their birth rate. This absence of genetic diversity is worrisome to investigators and raises the question of the possible extinction of the cheetah.

Other dangers imperil the species such as poaching for their fur, which was worn by many in the past, as well as systematic hunting by breeders. Above all, the reduction of their natural habitats, taken over by humans, is to blame.

However, a considerable opportunity for a concerted conservation effort is offered by the growing power of eco-tourism which attracts many visitors looking for unspoiled nature. Indeed, this economic boon can contribute to the making of sanctions of their last remaining territories, essentially in eastern Africa (Kenya and Tanzania) and in the south (Botswana and Namibia) where cheetahs still enjoy large populations.

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