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Cheetah
These magnificent creatures who are truly poetry in motion, have show us how swift they are as they run through the land. How can we not admire these animals and cherish them for the beauty they give us? That they are being driven to the brink of extinction is a shame upon the human race. How can we not preserve them so that our children and their children can see the fluid motion of them as they race?
Human excess is probably the major factor pushing the cheetah toward extinction. Too many people squeeze out other species, robbing them of living space and limiting their food supply. Also the cheetah and its pelt were a badge of wealth throughout recorded history. In 1900 there were about 100,000 cheetah worldwide. Present estimates place their number at 10 - 15 thousand with about 1/10 of those living in captivity. Namibia has the largest population of African cheetah - about 2500. Smaller populations exist in Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania while 19 other countries have even fewer.
Although the cheetah is a highly succesful hunter, capturing and killing over half of all prey it chases, it is a very vulnerable cat. Because it is built for speed rather than strength, the cheetah often gives up its kills to other tougher predators including hyenas, leopards, and lions. Cubs are often killed by lions and in some areas, only one of 20 cubs is likely to survive to adulthood.
Recent studies of cheetahs in the wild revealed an additional threat to the cheetahıs survival : low genetic variability and numerous sperm abnormalities due to inbreeding in some populations. Sperm abnormalities result in fewer offspring and the lack of genetic
Over the last 100 years, the cheetah's distribution has diminished greatly. Formerly found as far east as India and as far south as the southern tip of Africa, the cheetah is now confined to sub-Saharan Africa and a small population in Iran.
