The worldwide cheetah population is threatened. There are about 7,000 of the fleet cats in the wild but they face threats as diverse as other felines and human kidnapping of cubs for the pet trade.
According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund the number of cats has dropped 50 percent over the last few decades. That has prompted the first Global Cheetah Summit which has been scheduled for the end of January, 2024.
The cheetah population is threatened for a number of reasons. Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are behind the eight ball to begin with. They are very highly specialized hunters. That causes problems for them. Their prey base is limited so they are impacted by what happens to their go-to prey.
The biggest problem is their dependence on speed. Their adaptations to speed including light weight and semi-retractable claws leave them less able to defend themselves. Other fierce predators compete fiercely.
However, humans are trying to save them from extinction in the wild. In Iran, a protection society has been formed to help save the few remaining in that country.
India has begun an ambitious program named Project Cheetah . The plan is to import up to 50 cheetahs from Namibia and release them in suitable Indian habitat. The hope is that they will reestablish themselves in a country from which they were driven in the 1950’s. The ground-breaking program has been under review due to the death of some of the imported cats but appears to be ongoing.
Meanwhile, in Africa there are efforts to save the cats. The African Wildlife Foundation is one of the groups involved. They say poaching and capture are serious issues:
“Live cheetahs are caught and traded illegally to the exotic pet trade and they are also poached for their skin. The East African region is where illegal live trade is most likely to have the greatest negative impact on wild populations. Although the exact origin of the trade is unclear, information from interdictions and interviews with traders suggests that cheetahs are opportunistically collected from Somali regions, including parts of Ethiopia and Kenya, and occasionally beyond.”
The Cheetah summit convened January 24 at the Addis Ababa Hilton i Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Participants from around the world gathered to discuss a wide variety of topics. The agenda included discussions of cheetah numbers, genetics and ways to protect them in the regions they inhabit. The clear message is that although the cheetah population is threatened the cats are not without worldwide support.