Why are cheetahs endangered?

Cheetah is a magnificent member of the big cat family, the Felidae family. It has a small round-shaped head, long thin legs, spots around its body, and has a light built that allows them to run fast and catch prey with ease. Everything about this big cat is about speed and agility and speed is perfectly made for it.

They are often spotted in the plains of Africa’s land. A cheetah is depicted as a lone mammal, often alone and in solitude, aside from female cheetahs with cubs in tow.

They are recognized as the fastest animal on land where it can run and hit the record at 80 to 128 km/h. Even though Cheetahs are the fastest beast, it is now struggling to race against the dangers of extinction.

Only 7,100 cheetahs are remaining in the wild, it may look like a significant number, but this number shows vulnerability and an alarming risk of extinction as a result of poaching and climate change.

Instead of increasing in number, the Cheetahs population declined and sadly predicted to decrease further in the next 15 years by up to 53%. There are many causes why these big felines are facing extinction, and among them is their struggle to reproduce, threats of predators, poachers, and climate change. Threats that humans mainly cause.

Cheetahs can produce a litter of 3–5 cubs, and with the significant danger and threat, these big felines face hard times in raising cubs, especially predators. Also, the habitat of Cheetah’s starts to constrict due to the increase of human activities of clearing lands.

Cheetah has an illegal trade as a pet and several illegal hunts that chase this big fast cat to the brink of extinction. Due to the alarming number of remaining Cheetahs, various wildlife conservation organizations and the Government provide protection and support in conserving and saving Cheetahs from extinction.