What makes a cheetah a good predator

In fact, studies have shown that on reserves without lions, cheetahs will show higher levels of nocturnal activity when compared to the activity of cheetahs on reserves that do have lions. Diurnal hunting behaviour in cheetahs is common in areas with large competitors.

Reducing overlapping hunting periods with other predators also increases the chances of hunting success. Cheetahs rely on their speed rather than strength for hunting. This means that stronger predators, such as lions, leopards, and hyenas, can outcompete cheetahs for prey. Studies have also shown that these species have improved hunting success on darker nights. Avoiding overlapping hunting times reduces the chances of competition with other predators and increases the chances that the cheetahs will have a successful outcome.

Today, fewer than 12, wild cheetahs survive, down from , a century ago. They are extremely rare anywhere in their Asian range and are increasingly rare in Africa, particularly outside of protected national parks. The combination of poaching, habitat encroachment so that cheetahs are competing with stronger predators for less prey in a smaller geographic range than ever before , and extermination by ranchers are overwhelming the ability of the species to adapt and survive.

In Namibia, conservationists are working hand-in-hand with local farmers to show them how they can peacefully coexist with cheetahs. Rather than shooting cheetahs, farmers are relying increasingly on guard dogs and even guard donkeys to protect their livestock.

Zoos are also an important link to saving the cheetah. North American zoos that have cheetahs, including The Maryland Zoo, work cooperatively on research, conservation and education for the welfare of the cheetah. Educating people is critical. If local people in Africa come to see the cheetah as an asset in terms of promoting ecotourism, they will move forward into the next generation eager to save this magnificent cat and safeguard its future. You can make a difference for the cheetah. By supporting the Maryland Zoo, you support everything that we as an institution do, including research, conservation and education efforts on behalf of the cheetah.

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Maryland Zoo Logo Menu. Join Donate Shop. Buy Tickets Directions Zoo Map. Meet Davis. When hunting alongside other cheetahs as teams, they sometimes go after much more substantial animals, like zebras and wildebeests.

These diurnal cats go out to hunt when it's light out, in attempts to stay away from both leopards and lions. Cheetahs use their eyes to track down prey animals, rather than their noses. They closely trail prey animals, sometimes even getting as close as 50 feet away, indicates the Oregon Zoo. Once cheetahs decide that they're ready to go in for the kill, they quickly jolt into the direction of the prey. They then place their sharp chompers into the animals' throats and proceed to strangle. After this takes place, cheetahs usually lug the carcasses over to concealed spots such as bushes or trees.

Cheetahs do not hunt at night, they are most active during the morning and evening hours. The cheetah serves a special role in its ecosystem. Cheetahs are one of the most successful hunters on the savanna but their kills are very often stolen by larger carnivores or predators that hunt in groups.

Predators play an important role in any ecosystem. They keep prey species healthy by killing the weak and old individuals. They also act as a population check which helps plants-life by preventing overgrazing. Without predators like the cheetah, the savanna ecosystem in Namibia would be very different and the current ecological trend toward desertification would be accelerated. They growl when facing danger, and they vocalize with sounds more equivalent to a high-pitched chirp or bubble and they bark when communicating with each other.

The cheetah can also purr while both inhaling and exhaling. Only a handful of individuals remained. The population of cheetahs rebounded. Once found throughout Asia and Africa, today there are fewer than 7, adult and adolescent cheetahs in the wild. In Namibia, they are a protected species. Most wild cheetahs exist in fragmented populations in pockets of Africa, occupying a mere 9 percent of their historic range.

In Iran, fewer than 50 Asiatic cheetahs a sub-species remain. The largest single population of cheetahs occupies a six-country polygon that spans Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Angola, Mozambique and Zambia. In captivity cheetahs can live from 17 — 20 years. In countries across Africa, like Namibia, it is illegal to capture and take live cheetahs from the wild. Also in the majority of African countries, like Namibia, it is illegal to keep cheetahs under private ownership or as pets.

Cheetah Conservation Fund and other Africa-based NGOs keep populations of injured or orphaned animals in captivity as part of rehabilitation and rewilding efforts. Very young and extremely ill animals will have greater degrees of contact with human caretakers. Survival in the wild depends on an aversion to humans and avoidance of human populations. Cheetahs that require hand-rearing and prolonged medical treatment do not possess an adequate fear of humans for life in the wild, especially when their territories are increasingly likely to be shared by human settlements.

Accredited zoos around the world participate in captive breeding programs that track the genetic suitability for mating pairs. Accreditation criteria differs between accrediting organizations. Accreditation in most cases requires that zoos holding captive cheetahs must support conservation work. Cheetah Conservation Fund lists the zoos that fund our conservation work here. Cheetah Conservation Fund manages the International Cheetah Studbook for captive cheetah populations. As with all other species fighting extinction, the problem facing the cheetah is complex and multifaceted.

Unlike other large cats and pack predators, cheetahs do not do well in wildlife reserves. These areas normally contain high densities of other larger predators like the lion, leopard, and hyena.

Predators such as these, compete with cheetahs for prey and will even kill cheetahs given the opportunity. Farmers act quickly to protect their resources, often trapping or shooting the cheetah.

Because cheetahs hunt more during the day, they are seen more often than the nocturnal predators which contributes to a higher rate of persecution on the cheetah. Cheetahs require vast expanses of land with suitable prey, water, and cover sources to survive. Available habitat is fragmented, and degraded reducing the number of animals an area can support. Numerous landscapes across Africa that could once support thousands of cheetahs now struggle to support just a handful.