Threats To Cheetahs

The cheetah is the oldest of the big cats and has survived the longest. It is estimated about 10,000 cheetahs exist in the wild, while they have lost about 80% of their historic range. Their future is uncertain because of habitat loss, loss of prey and trophy hunting. Hunters also kill cheetahs because they view them as a threat to their livestock.

There is no record of a cheetah ever killing a human. In fact, cheetah cubs are unusually easy to tame, which has led them to be smuggled for pets.Perhaps the rising trade in cheetahs for luxury pets in the Middle East is the most critical issue causing Cheetah populations to dwindle. Cubs are smuggled from the Horn of Africa in groups of up to 30, and 50%-70% of those cubs die in transit.  This is a growing practice and is a huge concern for the fate of cheetahs.

About 10,000 years ago all but one species of the cheetah became extinct. This led to inbreeding, which has caused cheetahs to this day to be very closely genetically related. This has led to high cub mortality rate, low survivorship and higher susceptibility to disease and viruses.