The Cheetah: Fighting for Survival

Cheetah, or Acinonyx jubatus, are slender, spotted big cats native to eastern and southwestern Africa. They are the fastest land mammal, who can go from 0 to 60 mph in a little over 3 seconds. While lions are built for strength and leopards for stealth, the cheetah is built for speed. They use this speed to hunt impala and gazelle, most of which consist of vulnerable newborns or weak members of a herd. Alas, many people know the basic information about these fantastic cats. Yet what most people don't know about the cheetah is something quite drastic: they are endangered.

Decades ago, cheetah once roamed almost the entire African continent and a bit into Asia all the way down to eastern India.  Presently, only 23% of the cheetah's former territory remains inhabited by the cats and only 100 cheetahs remain in Asia, specifically Iran. The topic of conserving cheetahs is of the utmost importance. These cats control the populations of the prey they hunt and are vital to the African ecosystem and food chain. There are many projects and methods that are being used to conserve cheetahs, yet it is still likely that if we don't take serious action to assist these beautiful cats, there is a chance cheetahs will go extinct in our lifetimes. This topic is important to me because I believe all animals deserve a place in the world, especially when they contribute so much to the environment.

Cheetahs are important for African ecosystems and currently suffer from dwindling population numbers.The posts following this overview will discuss why cheetahs are disappearing, what projects exist to save cheetahs, and how zoos are working to build population numbers. One project in particular is so unique because it goes above and beyond to not only help cheetahs, but man and other beasts as well.




                                       Citations:
"About the Cheetah." RSS 20. Cheetah Conservation Fund, n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2014.

 "Cheetahs, Cheetah Pictures, Cheetah Facts - National Geographic." National Geographic. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2014.

Cheetah Conservation. Digital image. Ka'Ingo Private Reserve and Spa. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2014. <http://www.kaingo.co.za/about-media/cheetah-conservation.jpg>.

 McCarthy, Eugene M., PHD. "What Do Cheetahs Eat? - Online Biology Dictionary." What Do Cheetahs Eat? - Online Biology Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2014.

"Race For Survival." RSS 20. Cheetah Conservation Fund, n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2014.