Cheetahs



Photograph by Chris Johns

Cheetahs are one of my favorite big cats. I love their slender sleek appearance, how fast they can run and that they chirp instead of roar. Cheetahs have achieved the fastest land speed of any living animal. In short bursts, they can cover a distance up to 1,600 feet (500M), they can reach speeds of 70 to 75 mph. They also have the incredible ability to accelerate from 0 to over 60 mph (100km/h) in only 3 seconds.

Cheetahs have non-retractable claws and pads, which disallows gripping. This trait prevents the cheetah from climbing vertically. You will not see a cheetah climb a tree, but they are very capable of reaching accessible lower branches.

Cheetahs are very important to the health of the Savanna Ecosystem. They prey on grazers and on the weak and old animals of herds, which keeps the herd population controlled, healthy and free of disease. Extinction of the cheetah would lead to the overpopulation of their prey, which would result in overgrazing of the Savanna grasslands, which would result in unfavorable and drastic changes in the ecosystem. Insufficient grass allows shrub growth to take over, which would put other animals at risk of endangerment, such as the Riverine Rabbit and the Meerkat.

Approximately 10,000 cheetahs remain in the wild in 25 African countries. Namibia holds the largest population, about 2500. Alarmingly, another 50 to 60 Asiatic cheetahs are close to extinction and are thought to be found in Iran. In the early 1900's, there were over 100,000 cheetahs living in the wild but do to habitat loss from human expansion, poaching for sport or for their pelts to be sold on the black market, and a poor gene pool, have caused major declines in cheetah populations. Cheetahs can have anywhere from 1 to 5 cubs in a single litter, but cheetah cubs have a 90% mortality rate which is another factor that ties into their population losses.

Cheetahs are disappearing from our planet too quickly! Some ecologists predict that cheetahs will be extinct in as little as 10 years. Unless we do something about this, and do it now, these beautiful animals WILL DISSAPEAR. So start today, start right now! To help cheetahs you could Sponsor a dog in the Cheetah Conservation Fund's livestock guarding program. They train dogs to guard livestock for farmers. The dogs protect the livestock from cheetahs and other predators, which keep farmers from becoming hunters.

Donate money to conservation organizations that help cheetahs, or adopt a cheetah through one of these organizations. Money can help fund land purchases, research projects and other activities that benefit the cheetah. Big or small donations can make a difference. Consider supporting the efforts to stop cheetah poaching and hunting. Do not buy cheetah fur or any other product that comes from the destruction of the cheetah. The purchasing of these products gives the poachers and hunters something to gain in killing the cheetah for its fur and skin. Another option would be to volunteer you time and efforts in supporting a fund raiser designed to benefit the cheetah. There are so many things you could do to help the cheetah, but it won't get done unless you take action. So spread the word, do your best, and let's start making a difference.

Thank you,

Sydney