Size
109 - 150 centimeters
(43 – 59 inches) long
Diet
Springbok, steenbok, duikers, impala, gazelles, young warthogs, kudus, hartebeests, oryx, roan, sable, game birds, and rabbits
Range
Historic cheetah range
Present cheetah range
Fact
Female cheetahs are solitary except when with their cubs, and males socialize in small groups.
Making A Difference
Unlike many big cat species, cheetahs do not typically thrive on wildlife preserves due to competition with other predator species and the vulnerability of cheetah cubs to predators. Ninety percent of cheetahs live in unprotected wilderness areas that are shrinking in size due to human expansion. This pushes them into contact with farms where they are killed by farmers protecting their livestock and livelihood. Conservation organizations take several approaches to protecting cheetahs and their habitats while working with local communities. One is livestock guarding dogs, who scare away cheetahs before they threaten livestock. There are roughly 250 cheetahs living at zoos in North America, where scientists study behaviors like their communication.
Cheetahs are victims of the illegal wildlife trade. Cubs are captured to be sold as pets, but only one in six survives the trip.
Cheetah cubs
