On December 4, the International Cheetah Day 2024the fastest land animal in the world, now in a race against its own extinction. There are fewer than 7,100 cheetahs left in the wildcausing the cheetah in the most endangered cat in Africa.
He International Cheetah Day was declared by the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF)and more specifically by its founder, the Dra. Laurie Marker She named this celebration in honor of Khayam, a cheetah she raised as a cub at the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. This cheetah served as an experiment to find out if captive-raised cheetahs could be reintroduced into the wild while retaining their hunting instincts.
Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), also called cheetahs or cheetahs, are animals that fascinate people thanks to their hunting skills.. Besides being the fastest animals in the world. And also because they are really beautiful. But all this can be a disadvantage for this charming feline.
He cheetah It is the animal that can reach the greatest speed over short distances. In a sprint it can even go faster than 110 km/h. They measure approximately 75 centimeters at the shoulder and weigh between 50 and 65 kilograms.
Its long legs, a small, round head combined with a slender neck and a very flexible spine are excellent tools for speed and control. aerodynamics. In addition, they have a deep chest and special pads that help them with traction. Its long tail is the best helper to maintain balance while running.
The cheetah is also the only feline that cannot retract its claws.something that will benefit you when it comes to gaining strength and sticking to the ground. It has distinctive black ‘tear prints’. They go from the tear duct of each eye to the mouth. And they have extra anti-reflective protection for hunting during the day.
Feeding cheetah
Because the places where it lives are populated by many other carnivores, the cheetah eats quickly and voraciously.. Its structure prevents it from defending its prey against other canids such as lions, hyenas or wild dogs. Even vultures are capable of stealing food.
The cheetah prefers to hunt during the day, especially early in the morning and before sunset. The males join the females to mate and then leave her alone. She is responsible for giving birth and raising her offspring. That they can spend up to 2 years of maternal dependence while learning to hunt and fend for themselves in the nature.
Threats to cheetahs
Currently in the IUCN Red List Cheetahs are classified as ‘vulnerable’. In 1900, an estimated 100,000 cheetahs lived across Africa. Today, fewer than 7,000 adults remain in the wild. Since the beginning of the new millennium, the population of these felines has declined by an estimated 40%.
The main problems they face are caused by people. The deforestation It reduces their habitat, as does urbanization and the construction of road infrastructure. Furthermore, human expansion into the habitat of cheetahs It causes their usual prey to disappear, forcing them to feed on livestock. Breeders consider them pests and kill them in retaliation..
The percentage of offspring that are victims of the disease is also of great importance. poachingto sell them as pets. And to this we must add that the fragmentation of their territories is contrary to genetic variation. And that their young are vulnerable to attack by other predators, such as eagles, other cats, etc.