Hunting Pressure

In some African countries, cheetahs are considered a nuisance. In Namibia, more than 95% of the cheetahs live on private ranch land. The farmers kill the cheetahs because they believe that the cheetahs eat livestock. Cheetahs are easy to kill because they are diurnal animals. Almost 7000 were killed as vermin in Namibia in a ten year period. A few are hunted by vehicles for trophy kills. Some cheetahs are captured for zoos. A few are even kept as pets.

While human exploitation is a serious threat to the cheetah, it does not explain the major declines in this cat in the last 20 years. Cheetahs tolerate human activity, although they are easily disturbed.

• Can you think of other reasons why cheetahs are declining in numbers?