Cheetah Poaching in Africa
There are less than 6,000 cheetahs left in the world
Not even the world’s fastest land animal can escape the perils of poaching. In 1970, the cheetah population hovered at 25,000; now we’re down to less than 6,000 or 10% from the 1900s. Poachers aren’t their only enemy. Farmers kill to protect their livestock, and we continue encroaching on their habitat.
Cheetahs are notoriously hard to repopulate. They often fight to the death with each other out in the wild when they are reintroduced to an area, or are taken out by larger carnivores. About 80% of cheetah populations contain fewer than 100 individuals. There are several successful initiatives and we have partnered with them on projects that are vital to the survival of the species. It’s important to bring new genealogy into a variety of regions so that the lines remain strong and not weakened by familial blood ties.
Cheetahs are often killed by farmers in retaliation for predation of their own animals. Goats and chickens are easy prey for cheetahs but farmers around many parts of Africa have resorted to using poison to kill them. Once the cheetahs die, any animal that feasts on its remains will also be poisoned and die. Vultures and other birds of prey have fallen victim to these poisonings and some are now also endangered.
Cheetahs are also dwindling because of the desire poachers have for their skins, bones, claws and teeth. While it’s still an illegal trade, many cheetahs are still killed and then trafficked.
What are the five recognized subspecies of Cheetah?
The Cheetah, under the genus Acinonyx, has been classified into five recognized subspecies. These subspecies are: 1. Northwest African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki) 2. East African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus fearsoni or A.j. raineyi) 3. South African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) 4. Northeast African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus soemmerringi) 5. Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) Each of these subspecies faces different levels of threat with all subspecies listed as vulnerable except the Northwest African and Asiatic cheetah which are currently classified as critically endangered.
We love working with the conservationists at Manyoni Private Game Reserve and Phinda’s “AndBeyond” teams. This is a relocation project we helped to complete and Managing Director of the property; Karen Odendaal.
“One man was calling to us to get back behind the chain fence. We ignored him. I knelt close to the cheetah. My heart was beating fast, but I wasn’t scared, only excited. I could feel the cheetah’s hot breath on my face. He looked right at me. His amber eyes were steady but sad as if he knew he’d never see the plains of Africa again.”
Cheetah Poaching Hotspots
Cheetahs are only found in the wild throughout East Africa and the Horn. Their limited natural habitat zones, combined with their poor breeding rates in captivity, makes the illegal capture of wild cheetah cubs a serious concern for their survivability as a species. Poaching has been a significant concern in certain regions of Africa, such as East and North Africa, where cheetah populations have been particularly vulnerable.
Illegal Wildlife & Pet Trade
The illegal wildlife trade is also having devastating effects on the cheetah population, as young cubs are taken straight out of their mother's nest to be sold as pets. These poached cubs are often smuggled to far away places and destined for the palaces of royalty and wealthy families in the Middle East and South-East Asia. More than 4,000 wild cheetahs have been documented in the illegal wildlife trade since 2010.
The cubs are transported in small boxes, bins or containers and often do not survive the journey. If the cheetahs do survive, their life in captivity is very short. Cheetahs do not survive well in houses where they eat the wrong diets, live in small cages and have no place to run and roam.
What We’re Doing to Stop Cheetah Poaching
Cheetah Rewilding Project
We recently funded the relocation of three cheetahs with our partners, the Aspinall Foundation. While we don’t want to publish their specific tracking details for their safety, we will hopefully be able to share more with you as we feel more confident they’re safe from poachers and settling in well.
Why Cheetahs are Important
Like other predators, cheetahs maintain the balance of prey and contribute to the overall balance of the ecosystem.
These “apex predators” are at the top of the food chain. If cheetahs are removed from our ecosystem, it has a trophic cascading effect — when removing one animal affects other animals in the same food chain. Removing cheetahs means other animals would be affected – a trophic cascade would occur. There are two reasons why trophic cascades are bad: control of animal populations and negative impacts on biodiversity.
Cheetahs matter. They play a vital role in maintaining the health of their ecosystems, and changes to one can have global effects.
NAMBITI PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
One of the rangers at Nambiti kindly talked to us about his key responsibilities as the person in charge of the cheetah rewilding program they have.
Fact: Cheetahs are not very good mothers!
Fact: Cheetahs are on the critically endangered species list.
How Can You Help?
Share their story to build awareness and bring attention to their plight
Report wildlife crime and support sustainable products
Hold a local fundraiser in your community to raise funds to help our work