(Acinonyx jubatus)
The cheetah has a slender, elongated body supported on tall, thin legs with blunt semi-retractable claws and a flattened rudder-like tail that measures half of the cheetah's head and body length. Black "tear marks" run down the face from the corner of the eyes down to the mouth. It is believed that the "tear marks" aid in hunting by helping to keep the sun out of the eyes. The coat colour is tan with evenly spaced black spots. The coat is coarse and short. Adult body length 112-135cm; tail length 66-84cm; shoulder height 73-90cm; weight 34-65kg.
Habitat
Cheetahs prefer vast areas of open country, such as grassy plains or savannahs, although they can survive in a variety of different habitats including open woodlands, semi-desert, sandy plains, dense vegetation, and mountainous terrain.
Diet
Cheetahs are diurnal meaning they are active during the day. Cheetahs usually hunt in the late morning and early evening. They capture their prey by stalking until the prey is within 10-30 metres before initiating the chase. Because cheetahs store heat internally they will only chase over very short distances before they must stop and cool down. Chases usually last around 20 seconds and no longer than 1 minute. About half of all chases are successful. Cheetahs use a bite to the throat in order to suffocate their prey. Their diet consists of Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, springbok, reedbuck, waterbuck, kudu, steenbok, duiker, warthog, hare, game birds, and wildebeest. Because of their relatively small size in comparison to other large predators in Africa, cheetahs commonly lose 10-50% of their kills to lions, hyaenas and leopards. Cheetahs are well adapted to living in arid environments and are not obligate drinkers. They appear to be able to satisfy their moisture requirements from their prey's blood and urine or by eating tsama melons.
Breeding
Cheetah breed once a year. The female raises the cubs ranging from 2-8 (but usually 3 or 4) herself. They will stay with her for up to two years.
Social Organisation
Cheetahs are usually solitary hunters that come together only to breed. Males, related or unrelated, may form lifelong coalitions of two or three individuals. In areas where more powerful predators have been eradicated, groups as large as 10–14 animals (including cubs) have been reported. Sexual maturity occurs at 20-23 months. Females usually have two to six cubs after a gestation of 89-95 days. The young become independent at two years of age.
Cubs are smoky-grey in colour with long hair, called a mantle, running along their backs. The mantle has several purposes: it is thought to camouflage the cub in long, dry grass, hiding it from predators; and also work as a mimicry defense, causing the cub to resemble the fierce honey badger. Because other carnivores - lions, hyaenas, and leopards - commonly prey upon young, their large litter size may help compensate for infant loss through predation. Female cheetahs maintain a home range that is several times larger than those of males.
Conservation
In order to save this magnificent cat from extinction we must: protect the cheetah’s habitat and wild prey base; stop the indiscriminate capture and removal of cheetahs; work to improve livestock and game management; and continue to educate everyone on the important role of the cheetah, as a predator, in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
Australia Zoo’s Cheetah Team in association with Wildlife Warriors Worldwide is playing an active role in the fight to save the cheetah from extinction. Through our Cheeky Cheetah Walks and donations to Wildlife Warriors we have been able to support DeWildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust and Cheetah Outreach in South Africa by providing much needed funds to relocate and track problem cheetahs and more recently sponsor the Anatolian Shepherd Pilot and Breeding programs. Wildlife Warriors has also sponsored two Anatolian Shepherd dogs named “Warrior” and “Crikey”, who have been placed on farms in NE South Africa.
A Turkish breed, the Anatolian Shepherd was bred to protect livestock from wolves and bears. These impressive dogs have been bred and reared by Cheetah Conservation Fund since 1994 to serve the farmers of Namibia. Given to farmers at 6 weeks of age, the dogs are raised exclusively with the flock, instinctively protecting them from a wide range of predators including cheetah. By deterring predators, this important working relationship removes the need for farmers to trap and shoot this endangered cat. As a result of the successful Namibian initiative, a trial program has been launched by DeWildt Wild Cheetah Management Program (WCMP)/Cheetah Outreach to introduce the Anatolian to serve the farmers of South Africa. We all hope that this initiative will be as successful in South Africa as it has been in Namibia.
How You Can Help:
• If you would like to help wild cheetahs and experience the thrill of meeting a cheetah in person contact Australia Zoo and book your Cheeky Cheetah Walk, an unforgettable 30 minute hands-on experience with a cheetah. Entry into the Zoo and professional photographs are included. All profits go towards wild cheetah conservation.
• Make a donation to Wildlife Warriors Worldwide. If you would like to help protect wild cheetahs you can make a tax-deductible donation to Wildlife Warriors by selecting ‘Cheetah Conservation Programs’ on the donation form available on the website.
• Tell your friends all about cheetahs and their race for survival.
• Visit the following links to learn more about wild cheetahs and what is being done to ensure their survival.
Life Expectancy
Studies have not been conducted in the wild on longevity; 8-12 years is the average in captivity. Cub mortality is high for the species in both the wild and captivity. On average 30 percent of all cubs born in captivity die within one month of birth, and in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, about 90 percent die before reaching 3 months of age.
Survival Threats
The primary threat to cheetahs is loss of habitat due to human settlement and agriculture. Decline in prey, poaching, and indiscriminate trapping and shooting as a livestock predator also threaten the survival of the cheetah throughout its range. As a protected species in Namibia, people are allowed to remove cheetahs only if they pose a threat to livestock or human life. Unfortunately, some farmers will capture cheetahs indiscriminantly (the "problem" animals may not be singled out), often removing or killing those that have not taken any livestock. In North Africa and Iran, severe depletion of the prey base has brought cheetahs to near extinction.
Specialisations
Cheetahs have many anatomical and physiological adaptations that characterize specializations for speed. Large thigh muscles, long limbs, a flexible spine, an oversized liver, heart, and lungs, an enlarged nasal passage, semi-retractable claws, hardened foot pads, and a rudder-like tail make this cat the fastest land animal in the world.
A running cheetah can cover 7-8 metres with each stride and an amazing 25 metres per second reaching a top speed of up to 110km/hr in 3-4 seconds. At two points in the stride, no feet touch the ground. The fastest recorded speed for a captive cheetah is 127km/hr – CRIKEY!
Distribution
Once widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, the cheetah can now only be found scattered in various countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and a small population in Iran. The major strongholds of the cheetah are in eastern and southern Africa, primarily Kenya, Tanzania, and Namibia.
Only 10,000–12,000 cheetahs remain in 25 African countries and a further 200 cheetahs survive in Iran. The largest population (2500) of cheetahs occurs in Namibia where 95 percent of wild cheetahs live on commercial farms.
Status
Protected species in Namibia. Endangered under the United States Endangered Species Act. Listed on CITES Appendix I which bans international commerce but quotas for trophies are provided to Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Illegal trade in other parts of Africa and indiscriminate capture and removal in southern Africa continue to threaten the survival of this species.
