Trivia TOP 3 FACTS ABOUT CHEETAHS

[Beatriz9]

1. THERE ARE 5 RECOGNISED SUBSPECIES OF THE CHEETAH​

The wild Cheetah population is believed to be around 6,600 mature individuals and decreasing. They are currently classified under the genus Acinonyx, whose closest living relatives are cougars and jaguarundis—both wild cats are native to the Americas. Altogether, 5 subspecies of cheetah have been described:

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

All cheetah subspecies are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, except the Northwest African and Asiatic cheetah which are critically endangered at present.

2. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN?​

Cheetahs are blisteringly fast and can reach speeds up to 64 miles per hour in 3 seconds, making them the fastest land animals in the world over short distances. For comparison with humans, Usain Bolt currently holds the record as the fastest man in the world, with a top speed of around 27 miles per hour. A cheetah can outpace the world's fastest man by more than twice his speed, whether in the wild or on a race track!

But when it comes to endurance, these slender big cats can only maintain their top speed for a short period of time depending on their health and energy levels, as well as the weather and ground conditions. So, cheetahs are known to abandon their hunt even though their body temperatures remain relatively stable when chasing their prey.

3. THEY ARE UNDER THREAT OF EXTINCTION IN THE WILD.​

Cheetahs were once widespread in Africa, and they also used to roam the Arabian Peninsula and into central India. However, they have disappeared from most of the African continent and can now be found inhabiting only 10% of their historic range. The cheetah’s remaining stronghold is in Southern and Eastern Africa at present. In Asia, wild cheetah numbers have shown a staggering decline with around 80 individuals remaining, but some recent estimates show their numbers as low as 12 individuals. At present, asiatic cheetahs are restricted to the central deserts of Iran.

The remaining cheetah populations face multiple threats, from habitat loss and fragmentation, depletion of wild prey, human-wildlife conflict to infrastructure development.

(s)orgUK