Possibly the best known of the non-roaring cats, cheetahs are larger, slender cats with the reputation of the fastest land animal. It is estimated that an adult can reach a speed of about 95 km per hour for a brief period. This kind of speed is only possible over open ground, thus they are limited in their range.

The fur has a background color of light golden yellow, covered with small, round, black spots on the cheeks, forehead, crown, neck, and limbs. The tail, spotted above and pale below, has three to six black rings near the end, and a white tip. One of their most distinctive features is the black line, or tear stripe, running from the eye to the corner of the mouth. The ears are black, but tawny at the base and edges. They have a mane-like black stripe running the length of their back. In some animals this stripe is highly pronounced, and the body spots flow together to produce stripes and blotches. Animals with this coat pattern are called king cheetahs.

Ten to twelve thousand years ago, the cheetah suffered a massive dieoff. Prior to this, there had been many different species, but only a small number of the modern species survived. It is from this remnant population that all cheetahs alive today have descended. As a species, they are genetically identical, with only 2% genetic variation compared with 10% or more in other cats. A skin graft from any cheetah will grow normally on any other cheetah in the world, while a graft from any other cat will wither and die. The potential for a virus to wipe out large numbers is high because of the lack of variation in disease resistance.

The cheetah shows many adaptations for fast running. Long legs and a flexible spine permit a long stride length for extra speed, exposed claws act like running spikes, and large nostrils assist breathing and cooling off after a sprint. Their canines are relatively small, leaving a larger nasal aperture between the roots for more air intake following the chase. They have relatively larger heart, lungs, adrenal glands and air passageways as well. Their feet are equipped with hard pads that have ridges, possibly acting like anti-skid treads. The long tail is essential as a counterbalance for turning.

As hunters, cheetahs rely on stalking to within about 30 metres of their prey, and then a short sprint of 20 - 60 seconds. When they catche up to a fleeing animal, they attempt to knock it off balance with a swipe of a front paw. Actually, they are trying to hook it with the enlarged front dew claw which is located up off the ground on the inside of the front leg. They usually prey on gazelle, impala, wildebeest calves, and other hoofed mammals up to 40 kg. Rabbits and birds may also be taken. Larger hoofed animals are taken by cooperating groups of males, usually litter-mates. Cheetahs apparently do not require fresh water, and appear to obtain enough moisture from their prey.

A nine year study in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania has found female cheetahs occupy home ranges averaging 33 sq mi, while male territories average 1.5 sq mi. In most carnivore species, it's the males who have larger ranges which overlap those of several females. Genetic testing of cheetah cubs in the study found that about 43% of cheetah litters were fathered by more than one male. This mating strategy is thought to be an advantage in maintaining genetic diversity, and any successful conservation strategy must encompass large landscapes so females have access to many males, from both inside and outside protected parks.

Related young males form groups of two to four and occupy small territories. These coalitions defend their territories against other males for all or most of the year. Coalition males appear to live longer, healthier lives and so may have more years for breeding than solitary males.

Unlike most cats, cheetahs do not have a regular breeding season. Cubs may be born in any month. The average litter size is three, but the range is from one to eight. The gestation period is 90 - 98 days, with the birth size around 270 grams. Their eyes open around four to 11 days of age. The cubs are kept hidden in dense grass or under bushes until five or six weeks of age. The blue grey ruff or mane running down their back probably aids in camouflaging them during this time. Weaning occurs around three months. Males do not take part in the rearing of the cubs, and are actually predators on the young. Many other carnivores will kill young cheetahs, including hyenas, lions Panthera leo, leopards Panthera pardus and eagles. Fewer than one third of a litter is likely to survive to adulthood.

Captive breeding has been attempted for centuries, since these cats were kept as hunting leopards by Indian and Arab Royalty, but it was not until the mid 1950’s that any real success occurred. It was found that females need to choose from a number of males as they would in the wild, rather than being kept with a single male year round.

Once ranging over most of Africa’s open areas and the grasslands of India, Pakistan, Russia, Iran and the Middle East, the majority of these cats are now found in east and southern Africa. An estimated 50 - 100 Asian cheetahs are thought to exist in Iran, and a government sanctioned research project has been underway there since 1997. In 1993, a remnant population was found in Egypt. These cats are smaller and stockier than their southern cousins. They also have unusually large ears, and a pronounced, square muzzle. The coat color is lighter, and the black markings muted. Unfortunately, this small population is under severe threat from Bedouin hunters and rich hunting parties from the Arab states.

In all areas, their numbers are declining rapidly. Hunting and habitat loss primary factors responsible for their decline. Predation of cubs by lions is also increasing, as the two cats are forced into ever closer proximity. Another aspect of habitat loss is the loss of natural prey species. As ranchers move into the cats’ territories with their domestic livestock, cheetahs are coming into increasing conflict with man, and the big cats are often shot as stock killers.

The cheetah, with its strange mixture of dog like and cat like features, is one of the world’s most popular cats. They are fully protected over most of their range. CITES has placed them on Appendix I.

The Cheetah in Asia

Cheetahs are commonly thought of as African animals, but at one time they ranged over the grasslands of India, Pakistan, Russia, Iran and the Middle East. Today, there are only two small populations confirmed outside of southern Africa. The cats disappeared as their ungulate prey base was depleted by man, and as a result of direct persecution.

In 1993, a small remnant population was found in the south-western Sahara. These cats are smaller and stockier than their southern cousins with unusually large ears, and a pronounced, square muzzle. The coat colour is lighter, and the black markings muted. Estimates of this northern African population range from 300-500 cats surviving in Algeria, Chad, Mali and Niger. Mountain ranges up to 2,000 metres form their stronghold, although they can range far out onto sandy plains where there is sufficient prey. Toubou nomads, familiar with these cats, say they hunt on the plains in the cooler winter months, and retreat into the mountains during the hot dry summers. They are also known to hunt at night, when the temperatures are cooler.

An estimated 50 Asian Cheetahs are thought to exist in Iran, and a government sanctioned research project has been underway there since 1997. Their habitat is shrub steppe, mixed bush and grasslands, where it snows in winter. The Iranian cheetahs, outside of protected areas with remaining gazelle populations, prey mainly on hares, an abundant food source since they are not usually taken by Muslim hunters. In Turkmenistan, on Iran’s northern border, cheetahs have not been seen since the 1970’s, when their prey base, gazelles and antelope, was eliminated by hunters.

In the Sahara and Europe, cheetahs were kept by nobility and trained to hunt, a practice dating back 5,000 years to the Sumerians. In India, the Moghul Emperor Akbar was reputed to have collected 9,000 cheetahs in his lifetime. By the early 1900’s cheetahs had nearly disappeared from India, as the royal family had no success breeding them in captivity.

Asian and Saharan cheetahs exist today in very low population numbers, and widely separated populations. These cats are extremely vulnerable to any reduction in their antelope prey though livestock overgrazing and hunting, as well as direct persecution for their predation on livestock, particularly young camels. None of these rare cheetahs exist in captivity.

Cheetah pictures © Peter Cromer.