Cheetahs, (Acinonyx jubatus) the

world’s fastest land mam-

mals, are extremely shy

creatures and although

they roam widely,

are not often seen

as easily as some

other cats due to

their reclusive

nature.

Prior to the 20th century,cheetahs were widelydistributed throughoutAfrica and Asia, and ran-ged throughout theArabian Peninsula andthe Middle East to India,The Asian cheetah(Acinonyx jubatus venati-cus) is almost extincttoday, and can only befound in small isolatedpopulations in a fewremote areas of Iran andAfghanistan under agovernment research

� by Marco Sordelliphotos by Gigi Grasso

project .Today the cheetah’s main population centre islocated in the northern part of southernAfrica and in east Africa where prey isabundant and there are vast expansesof land including grassland savan-nahs, dense vegetation, and moun-tainous terrain.

However, cheetah populationscontinue to decline from loss

of habitat, decline of preyspecies, and conflict withlivestock farming.Throughout Africa, chee-tahs are not doing well inprotected wildlife reservesdue to increased competi-tion from other largerpredators, such as lionand hyenas, and mostprotected areas are una-ble to maintain viablecheetah populations.Therefore, a large percen-tage of the remainingcheetah populations areoutside of protected reser-ves, placing them in grea-ter conflict with humans.There are now only tworemaining populations t r o n g h o l d s :Kenya/Tanzania in EastAfrica and Namibia-Botswana in southernAfrica.

In Greek the genus nameAcinonyx, means “no-move-claw”, the speciesname jubatus “maned“ inLatin, a reference to themane found in cheetahcubs.

While the cheetah is oftenmistaken for a leopard,its distinguishing marksare the long teardrop-sha-ped lines on each side ofthe nose from the cornerof its eyes to its mouth.The coat is tan, or buff-colored, with solid black

spots. The tail hasspots that merge tofrom four to sixdark rings at theend, and usuallyends in a bushywhite turf. Theteardrop markingsserve to camouflagethe cheetah in sha-dowy grass.

The cheetah isaerodynamicallybuilt for speedthrough many

adaptations – the flexible spine, oversized liver, enlargedheart, wide nostrils, increased lung capacity, and can acce-lerate from zero to 40 mph in three strides and to full speedof 70 mph in seconds.

As the cheetah runs, only one foot at a time touches the

ground. The chee-tah is the only catwith semi-non-retractable clawsproviding extragrip to the groundlike cleats for trac-tion when running.Unlike other bigcats the cheetahdoes not roar,however it does

purr and has other vocal sounds which range from high-pit-ched yelps and barks to longer chirruping sounds.

Cheetahs will live singly or in small groups. Thefemale’s gestation period is 90 to 95 days, afterwhich she will give birth to a litter of up to sixcubs. She will find a quiet, hidden spot in thetall grass, under a low tree, in thick under-brush, or in a clump of rock. The mother isextremely devoted to her young andspends a long time teaching them how tohunt. For the first six weeks, the fema-le has to leave the cubs alone much ofthe time in order to hunt. During thefirst few weeks of life, a thick yel-lowish-grey coat, called a mantle,grows along the cub’s back. Themantle begins to disappear atabout three months old, but thelast traces of it, in the form of asmall mane, are still present atover two years of age.The history of human and chee-tah interaction dates back tothe Sumerians, about 3,000BC, where a leashed cheetah isseen being tamed for a pet. InEgypt, during the time of thepharaohs, the cheetah was con-sidered a goddess named“Mafdet.” Pharaohs kept chee-tahs as close companions as asymbol of protection by Mafdet.Cheetahs are depicted on ritualand magic knives, statues, and inpaintings in royal tombs. Theancient Egyptians believed thecheetah would carry the Pharaoh’ssoul to the afterworld. The cheetahwas greatly admired for its speed,hunting ability, and beauty, and washonored as a symbol of royalty and pre-stige.

Marco Polonoted that many

cheetahs were kept as petsin the orient. Three historical

figures are documented as havingpet cheetahs: Genghis Khan, Akbar

the Great of India and Charlemagne.Hunting with cheetahs was for the chal-

lenge of sport, and typically the hoodedcheetah was carried on horseback or in a

cart.Namibia is home to the world’s largest remai-

ning population of cheetahs, where from 1990the mission of the Cheetah Conservation Fund

(CCF) has focused on conservatory research,management strategies and techniques that willlead to the long-term survival of free-rangingcheetah. The CCF was founded in 1990 by Dr.Laurie Marker and is dedicating to saving thecheetah from extinction. Zoos, animal parks andprivate facilities throughout the world have develo-ped captive breeding and genetic programs to limitthe vulnerability of the species. Today, the chee-tah’s very survival depends on people and our abi-lity to manage the wild population and protectits habitat.