African Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus

General Description

Scientific Name: Acinonyx jubatus

Subspecies: 3 Subspecies

Southern African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus)
Northeast African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii)
North African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki)

Status: Vulnerable (Increasing)

Population Estimate: 7,100

Population in Assessed Areas: 5-25

Diet: Obligate Carnivore

Male Size: 40-72 Kgs

Female Size: 21-55 Kgs

Trophy Size: N/a

Generation Length: 4.9 years

Reproductive Season: Year Round

Time of Activity: Diurnal/semi-nocturnal

Description: The cheetah is a lightly built, spotted cat characterized by a small rounded head, a short snout, black tear-like facial streaks, a deep chest, long thin legs and a long tail. Its slender, canine-like form is highly adapted for speed, very different to the robust build of other cats. Cheetahs are between 67–94 cm at the shoulder and the head-and-body length is between 1.1-1.5 m. The weight can vary with age, health, location, sex and subspecies; adults typically range between 21 and 72 kg (46 and 159 lb). Cubs born in the wild weigh 150–300 g (5.3–10.6 oz) at birth, while those born in captivity tend to be larger and weigh around 500 g (18 oz). Cheetahs are sexually dimorphic, with males being larger and heavier than females, but less so than in other large cats. There is significant morphological variation among the subspecies, with the northern varieties often being significantly smaller than southern varieties.

The coat is typically tawny to creamy white or pale buff (darker in the mid-back portion). The chin, throat and underparts of the legs and the belly are white and devoid of markings. The rest of the body is covered with around 2,000 evenly spaced, oval or round solid black spots, each measuring roughly 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in). Each cheetah has distinct patterns of spots which can be used to identify individuals. Besides the clearly visible spots, there are other faint, irregular black marks on the coat. Newly born cubs are covered in fur with an unclear pattern of spots that gives them a dark appearance—pale white above and nearly black on the underside. The hair is mostly short and often coarse, but the chest and the belly are covered in soft fur; the fur of king cheetahs has been reported to be silky. There is a short, rough mane, covering at least 8 cm (3.1 in) along the neck and the shoulders; this feature is more prominent in males. The mane starts out as a cape of long, loose blue to grey hair in juveniles. Melanistic cheetahs are rare and have been seen in Zambia and Zimbabwe. In 1877–1878, two partially albino specimens were sighted in South Africa.

The head is small and more rounded compared to other big cats. Saharan cheetahs have canine-like slim faces. The ears are small, short and rounded; they are tawny at the base and on the edges and marked with black patches on the back. The eyes are set high and have round pupils. The whiskers, shorter and fewer than those of other felids, are fine and inconspicuous. The pronounced tear streaks (or malar stripes), unique to the cheetah, originate from the corners of the eyes and run down the nose to the mouth. The role of these streaks is not well understood—they may protect the eyes from the sun's glare (a helpful feature as the cheetah hunts mainly during the day), or they could be used to define facial expressions. The exceptionally long and muscular tail, measures 60–80 cm.

Ecology: The cheetah hunts small to medium-sized prey weighing 20 to 60 kg, but mostly less than 40 kg (88 lb). Its primary prey are medium-sized ungulates, and are a major component of it's diet in certain areas, such as Dama & Dorcas gazelles in the Sahara, Impala in the eastern and southern African woodlands, springbok in the arid savannas to the south and Thomson's gazelle in the Serengeti. Smaller antelopes like the common duiker are frequent prey in the southern Kalahari. Larger ungulates are typically avoided, though nyala, whose males weigh around 120 kg, were found to be the major prey in a study in the Phinda Game Reserve. Prey preferences and success rates vary with the age, sex and number of cheetahs involved in the hunt. Generally, only groups (coalitions or mother and cubs) will try to kill larger prey like blue wildebeest; mothers with cubs especially look out for larger prey and tend to be more successful than females without cubs. Individuals on the periphery of the herd are common targets.

Cheetahs are pursuit predators, hunting primarily during the day, often with peaks at dawn and dusk to avoid larger predators like the primarily nocturnal lion. Cheetahs in the Sahara and Maasai Mara in Kenya hunt after sunset to escape the high temperatures of the day. Cheetahs use their vision to hunt instead of their sense of smell; they keep a lookout for prey from resting sites or low branches. The cheetah will stalk its prey, trying to conceal itself in cover, and approach as close as possible, often within 60 to 70 m (200 to 230 ft) of the prey (or even closer for less alert prey). Alternatively the cheetah will hide in cover and wait for the prey to come nearer. A stalking cheetah assumes a partially crouched posture, with the head lower than the shoulders; it will move slowly and be still at times. In areas of minimal cover, the cheetah will approach within 200 m (660 ft) of the prey and start the chase. The chase typically lasts a minute; in a 2013 study, the length of chases averaged 173 m, and the longest run measured 559 m. The cheetah can give up the chase if it is detected by the prey early or if it cannot make a kill quickly.

Cheetahs often lack the raw strength to tackle prey, and instead perform a kind of foot sweep by hitting the prey's leg or rump with the forepaw or using the strong dewclaw to knock the prey off its balance. Such tripping during a high-speed chase will cause the prey to fall down hard with much force that sometimes even breaks some of its limbs, and allow the cheetah to then pounce on the fallen and vulnerable prey.

Behavior: Cheetahs have a flexible and complex social structure, tending to be more gregarious than most fields (except the lion). Individuals my avoid one another but are generally amicable. Males may fight over territories or access to females in oestrus, and on rare occasions such fights can result in severe injury and death. Females are not social and have minimal interaction with other individuals, barring the interaction with males when they enter their territories or during the mating season. Some females, generally mother and offspring or siblings, may rest beside one another during the day. Young females often stay close to their mothers for life but young males leave their mother's range to live elsewhere.

Some males are territorial, and group together for life, forming coalitions that collectively defend a territory which ensures access to females—this is unlike the behavior of the male lion who mates with a particular group (pride) of females. In most cases, a coalition will consist of brothers born in the same litter, but biologically unrelated males are often allowed into the group. In the Serengeti, 30% of members in coalitions are unrelated males. If a cub is the only male in a litter, he will typically join an existing group, or form a small group of solitary males with two or three other lone males who may or may not be territorial. In the Kalahari Desert around 40% of the males live in solitude.

Males in a coalition are affectionate toward each other, grooming and calling out if lost. Unrelated males may face some aversion in their initial days in the group. All males in the coalition typically have equal access to kills when the group hunts together, and possibly also to females who may enter their territory. A coalition generally has a greater chance of encountering and acquiring females for mating; however, its large membership demands greater resources than do solitary males. A 1987 study showed that solitary and grouped males have a nearly equal chance of coming across females, but the males in coalitions are notably healthier and have better chances of survival than their solitary counterparts.

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Reproduction: Cheetahs are induced ovulators and can breed throughout the year. Females can have their first litter at two to three years of age. Polyestrous, females have an oestrus ("heat") cycle is 12 days long on average, but it can vary from three days to a month. A female can conceive again after 17 to 20 months from giving birth, or even sooner if a whole litter is lost. Males can breed at less than two years of age in captivity, but this may be delayed in the wild until the male acquires a territory. A 2007 study showed that females who gave birth to more litters early in their life often died younger, indicating a trade-off between longevity and yearly reproductive success.

Compared to other felids, cheetah cubs are highly vulnerable to predation during the first weeks of their life. Mothers keep their cubs hidden in dense vegetation for the first 2 months and nurse. The mother is extremely vigilant at this stage, staying within 1 km (0.62 mi) of the lair, frequently visiting her cubs, and moving them every 5-6 days. Despite trying to make minimal noise, she cannot generally defend her litter from predators. Predation is the leading cause of mortality in cheetah cubs; a study showed that in areas with a low density of other predators (such as Namibian farmlands) around 70% of the cubs make it beyond the age of 14 months, whereas in areas like the Serengeti National Park, where several large carnivores exist, the survival rate was just 17%. Deaths also occur from starvation if their mothers abandon them, fires, or pneumonia because of exposure to bad weather. Generation length of the cheetah is six years. This is part of the reason why they produce large amounts of cubs in each litter (up to 8).

Cubs start coming out of the lair at two months of age, trailing after their mother wherever she goes. At this point the mother nurses less and brings solid food to the cubs; they retreat away from the carcass in fear initially, but gradually start eating it. The cubs might purr as the mother licks them clean after the meal. Weaning occurs at four to six months. To train her cubs in hunting, the mother will catch and let go of live prey in front of her cubs. Cubs' play behavior includes chasing, crouching, pouncing and wrestling; there is plenty of agility, and attacks are seldom lethal. Playing can improve catching skills in cubs, though the ability to crouch and hide may not develop remarkably. Cubs as young as six months try to capture small prey like hares and young gazelles. However, they may have to wait until as long as 15 months of age to make a successful kill on their own. At around 20 months, offspring become independent; mothers might have conceived again by then. Siblings may remain together for a few more months before parting ways. While females stay close to their mothers, males move farther off. The lifespan of wild cheetahs is 14 to 15 years for females, and their reproductive cycle typically ends by 12 years of age; males generally live as long as ten years.

Conservation Analysis

Current & Historic range: Historically widespread across Africa and southwestern Asia, Cheetah are now known to occur in only 9% of their past distributional range, with their remaining strongholds in Southern and Eastern Africa.

In Eastern Africa Cheetah are known to occur in only 11% of their historical range (615,000 km²; Durant et al. 2017), and possibly occur in another 892,658 km² (IUCN/SSC 2007a). Significant Cheetah range occurs in the transboundary areas between northern Tanzania and southern Kenya. Almost the entire southern boundary of Ethiopia is recorded as resident Cheetah range with connectivity into South Sudan and this population likely extends into northern Kenya. Important subpopulations of Cheetah survive elsewhere in Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia, as well as in South Sudan and northern Uganda but are notably fragmented across the region. Their status in Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan is unknown.

In southern Africa Cheetah are known to occur in 22% of their historical range (1,325,000 km²), and possibly occur in another 424,000 km² (IUCN/SSC 2015). Most of the Cheetah surviving in this region are in a single transboundary population stretching across Namibia, Botswana, southern Angola, northern South Africa, south-western Mozambique and southern Zambia. Small isolated populations (<100 mature individuals) also survive elsewhere in central Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Cheetah have declined particularly precipitously across western, central and northern Africa. The subspecies found in northwest Africa is A. j. hecki. Across this region, Cheetah now occur in 9% of their historical range (1,037,000 km²), and possibly occur in another 921,000 km². However, much of this range is within the Sahara, where Cheetah occur at very low densities, estimated as 0.023 individuals per 100 km². There are five known Cheetah subpopulations in this region: south-central Algeria, stretching through to north-eastern Mali, and possibly into western Libya; two tiny connected subpopulations around the Termit massif in Niger; the WAP complex of protected areas in northern Benin, south-eastern Burkina Faso and south-western Niger; and south-eastern Chad and north-eastern Central African Republic (CAR). Cheetah have been extirpated from their historical range in Western Sahara, Senegal, Nigeria, Mauritania, Tunisia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, DRC and Ghana. The last reliable Cheetah sighting in Cameroon was in the 1970s, and no tracks were found in an extensive search of the Benoue Complex in 2007 and 2010, which was their last refuge in the country. Recent extensive surveys for Lions across several protected areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria found no evidence of Cheetah. It is also unlikely any Cheetah survive in Egypt. Reports from hunters suggest that Cheetah may persist in south-western Libya, but the status of Cheetah from much of southern Libya, northern Niger, Chad and CAR remains unknown.

In Asia, the Cheetah has been extirpated from nearly all of its range. Its historic range extended from the shores of the Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula, north to the northern shores of the Caspian and Aral Seas, and west through Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan into central India.

*Further data on Southern African Lion populations and harvest numbers outside of South Africa and Namibia are largely incomplete, and hence it has not been evaluated by us. It is our goal to expand into other African Nations soon, so please do be patient with us.

Map of Cheetah Current & Former Distribution

African Leopard Population Data

Country	Population Estimate	Population Status	Last Assessed
Zimbabwe
Zambia
Uganda
Tanzania
South Sudan
Rwanda
Nigeria
Mozambique
Malawi
Kenya
Gabon
Equatorial Guinea
Democratic Republic of Congo
Central African Republic
Cameroon
Angola
South Africa

Current & Historic Populations: In the most up to date assessment of global cheetah populations by Durant et al. (2017), the known remaining Cheetah populations were estimated to be confined to 9% of their historical distributional range. These authors estimated the Cheetah population at around 6,517 mature individuals (7,100 adult and adolescent animals) distributed over 3,100,000 km². A recent independent stud, using an extensive database of georeferenced sightings, estimated the Cheetah population within the southern African countries of Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, at 3,577 adults and adolescents, compared with 4,032 estimated for the same countries.

Southern Africa is a global stronghold for Cheetah, holding around 3,526 mature individuals across at least 11 subpopulations .A large center of distribution comprises the majority of the regional population, ca 3,396 mature individuals, distributed across a large transboundary landscape covering southern Botswana, Namibia, southern Angola, northern South Africa and south-western Mozambique. The remaining subpopulations in the southern Africa region are much smaller: 60 mature individuals in Kafue National Park, Zambia; 46 in and around Hwange National Park; 42 in Gonarezhou National Park and Save Conservancy; 37 spread across three conservancies in southern Zimbabwe; 18 in Liuwa Plains, Zambia; 11 in the Zambezi valley; nine in Banhine National Park, Mozambique; four in Rhino Conservancy Zimbabwe; 24 in the Moxico region in central Angola; and three in Matusadona, Zimbabwe. The latter subpopulation has decreased substantially after a reintroduction of Cheetah in the mid-1990s and may indicate poor long-term viability of isolated Cheetah populations in small areas. A large proportion (75%) of the estimated resident range in the region is outside protected areas, on lands ranched primarily for livestock but also for wild game. Larger competitors, such as Lions and Spotted Hyenas, have been extirpated from much of this range, which may allow for ideal conditions for cheetahs to recover at a faster rate than usual.

There are around 330 Cheetah in an intensively managed free-ranging meta-population distributed across small fenced reserves in South Africa and, more recently, in Liwonde National Park in Malawi. These Cheetah have been excluded from the overall population estimates in line with the IUCN SSC guidelines. However, when such populations are well managed, such as the South African Cheetah meta-population, in ways that allow a wide range of natural behaviors of Cheetah, including hunting, such populations can make a valuable contribution to ‘wild’ populations by providing individuals for well-planned restorations. They also allow cheetahs to exist in their ecological niche

The Eastern Africa Cheetah population is estimated at 2,102 mature individuals distributed across 14 subpopulations (from Durant et al. 2017). Only one of these subpopulations is estimated to number more than 200 mature individuals. In descending order of estimated population size the 15 subpopulations are: 1,250 mature individuals in the Serengeti/Mara/Tsavo/Laikipia landscape in Kenya and northern Tanzania; 184 in the Ruaha landscape in central Tanzania; 175 in a transboundary population through southern Ethiopia, eastern South Sudan and northern Kenya; 135 in Southern National Park in South Sudan; 78 in Badingilo National Park in South Sudan; 62 in Radom National Park in South Sudan; 55 in the Katavi-Ugalla landscape in Tanzania; 47 in the Maasai steppe in Tanzania; 33 in South Turkana in Kenya; 29 in the Ogaden landscape in Ethiopia; 18 in Blen-Afar Landscape in Ethiopia; 17 in the Kidepo National Park in Uganda and bordering areas in South Sudan; 10 in the Afar landscape in Ethiopia; and seven in the Yangudi Rassa landscape in Ethiopia (recalculated from Durant et al. 2017). A substantial proportion (75.4%) of Cheetah range in Eastern Africa is outside protected areas, on lands that are largely occupied by traditional pastoralist communities (Durant et al. 2017), where cheetah face elevated threats from retaliatory killings; unsustainable rangeland management leading to a loss of prey; and minimal protection against other illegal killings (e.g. for trade).

Threats to Species Survival: As a predator with a large range, never attaining densities much higher than 2 individuals per 100 km², Cheetah are highly vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation. Their low density means that Cheetah populations require much larger areas of land to survive than do those of other carnivore species, and hence they are particularly sensitive to these pressures which, together, represent the over-arching threat to Cheetah . The majority of Cheetah range (77%) and population (67%) are found on unprotected land, with animals living outside protected areas are often threatened by conflict with livestock and game farmers, While Cheetah prefer wild prey over livestock, they may kill livestock, and can be killed by farmers in retaliation or to prevent livestock loss. They are also threatened by prey loss in some areas, particularly when small-medium sized antelope population decrease due to competition from livestock or overhunting.

Unregulated tourism has the capacity to threaten Cheetah populations. Cheetah are a valuable attraction for tourists, for instance in Amboseli NP in Kenya tourists spent 12–15% of their total time spent for wildlife viewing observing Cheetah. Large numbers of tourist vehicles or insensitive tourist behavior can lead to a number of negative effects such as interference with Cheetah hunting, scaring Cheetah away from kills to which they are unlikely to return, and separation of mothers from cubs. Cub mortality due to separation from their mother has been reported in the Serengeti National Park and Mara Reserve. There have even been unconfirmed reports of vehicles running over Cheetah cubs in the Mara Reserve in their scramble to get close-up photographs. In contrast, well-regulated tourism can make important contributions to Cheetah conservation, not only by the revenue it generates, but also by raising awareness and political will for conservation.

Recommended Conservation Actions:

Further resource and manage protected areas where Cheetahs still exits exist.
Increase the access to funding and the effectiveness of anti-poaching techniques across Southern Africa, to make cheetah protection as affordable as possible.
Encourage the implementation of economic incentives that allow landowners to profit off the presence of healthy cheetah populations, whether that be through hunting or ecotourism.
Investigate how trophy hunting and ecotourism can be implemented without having negative impacts on cheetah populations, and help implement this over a large part of their range.
Improve survey methods to get accurate population data, such as implementing long-term monitoring programs.

Economic & Cultural Analysis

Ecotourism Value: Extremely High

Hunting Value: Extremely High

Meat Value: Low - Moderate

Average Trophy Value: $5,000 - $15,000 USD

Meat Yield per Animal: 50-100 kg

Economic Value/Impacts: The African leopard presents considerable value to the ecotourism industry across their range, as well as to rural and hunter-gatherer peoples that have likely hunted and lived alongside this species for thousands of years.

Cheetahs, along with other large carnivores like Lions, Leopards and Hyenas, are one of the most iconic wildlife species on the African continent, with millions of tourists visiting the continent to see them. Because of this, the mere presence of Cheetahs on a property can be a significant drawcard for ecotourism reserves, and are often one of the most sought after species on game drives. This value is realized across numerous game reserves in South Africa and Namibia, that take on the expenses of protecting them from the onslaught of poachers, because tourists are highly motivated to visit reserves with abundant populations of cheetahs. This is despite them being much harder to spot on safari than other large carnivores such as lions, spotted hyenas or wild dogs.

Hunting of leopards is far less common than other carnivore species, and is only legal in Namibia, where they are still relatively widespread and abundant. They were not commonly hunted for sport either in antiquity, instead they were usually captured alive and tamed, to be used as a hunting animal. This was particularly common in Western Asia, and in parts of North Africa.

Cultural Value: Where ever cheetah have roamed across their historical range, they have always been held in high regard. Though less feared than other large felines, they were respected for their hunting prowess and speed. Because they generally aren't aggressive towards people, they have served as a semi-domesticated or tamed animal for millennia, especially for the royalty of ancient civilization. Their ability to pursue species like blackbuck and small gazelles far better than the fastest domestic dogs what a real asset to these royal hunting parties. The practice is highly detrimental to the species though, since it reduced the wild population, and they struggle to breed in captivity, so captive breeding is not an option.

Throughout all of human history, people have coexisted with cheetah over a large portion of the globe, but as agriculture spread across the globe, they often came into direct conflict with our interests, and has resulted in their extermination from many parts of the world. Faunus aims to help restore some of these populations, especially in areas where they have been missing from ecosystems for hundreds, or even thousands of years.

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