Feeding, Breeding and Killing Habits of Cheetahs (African Cheetah)

Cheetahs were once widespread throughout Asia and Africa. However, they currently inhabit East and Southwestern Africa. In Iran, a small population of around 200 cheetahs exists.

Cheetahs are built for speed as an adult can attain distances of 110 kilometers per hour (70mph) within 3 seconds. Its unique body structure that includes a flexible spine, long legs, tail for balancing, and semi-retractable claws enable it to achieve the maximum distances. The claws of its legs act as cleats of a track to grip the ground when at top speed. The adaptations to rate also include its lungs, heart, and legs.

Scientific name:	Acinonyx jubatus
Weight:	40-70 kg (Up to 160 pounds)
Height:	94 cm (34 inches)
Length:	200 cm (about 6 feet)
Gestation period:	About 3 months
Life expectancy:	10-12 years in wild, up to 20 in captivity
IUCN Status:	Vulnerable (2020)

General habits of Cheetahs

Most people know that cheetahs are the fastest animal on land. Some of the other general habits of cheetahs include:

Unlike the other big cats, cheetahs do not roar. Their vocalization includes growls when in danger and high-pitched chirp when communicating with each other.
Cheetah is the only big cat that can turn in the air while running.
Male cheetahs would usually live in groups with their siblings, while the female cheetah is primarily a solitary animal. A male grouping of the cheetah is called a coalition.
Male cheetahs have territories that they protect while female cheetahs would follow the herds. Males attempt to mate with females when they pass through their territories while following the herds.

Killing and Feeding habits of cheetahs

Unlike the leopards and the lions, cheetahs are diurnal, which means that they hunt during the day. The strategy helps the cat to avoid competition with the other bigger carnivores.

Cheetahs are cursorial animals, meaning that they are adapted to run. The cats can reach a maximum speed of 110 km/h (68.35 mph. However, they are unable to sustain the pace for long. Thus, timing is vital for cheetahs while hunting.

The main prey for cheetahs in Africa is the medium or smaller sized ungulates such as the gazelles. In community conservation lands, the cheetah will also hunt unattended goats and sheep. It is rare for a cheetah to pursue livestock when the herder is taking good care of the livestock. When food is scarce, a cheetah will go for even go for smaller prey such as hares and birds.

Because they have an advantage of speed, they have the ‘fast-twitch’ muscle fibers that provide power over endurance. Cheetahs are quite successful hunters. However, larger predators like lions and hyenas steal most of their kills.

Unlike the other big cats, cheetahs do not ambush or attack within springing distance. Instead, they begin the chase when the prey is between 70 and 100 meters (230 to 330 ft.). The hunt would rarely last a minute and is commonly at 20 seconds. The cat would knock down its prey and quickly use its canine teeth to strangle its catch.

Cheetahs would seldom scavenge prey that they did not hunt. A lone adult cheetah may hunt after between 3-5 days while a mother with cubs may need to hunt every day.

After making a kill, a cheetah may need time to catch its breath. Research shows that cheetah with cubs take a longer pause compared to other cheetahs. Probably because they must ensure the site is safe before introducing the cub for the kill. Then it would devour its prey before a scavenger emerges. At times, cheetahs would drag their kill to a hiding spot.

Breeding habits of Cheetahs

The cheetahs exhibit a polygynous mating system where one male can mate with multiple females. Moreover, male cheetahs only associate with females during mating. The male does not provide any assistance in parental care. Additionally, a female cheetah may mate with more than one male when in heat. Interestingly, the same litter can produce cubs of different fathers!

Like with the other big cats, the gestation period for cheetah is about three months. After which the female gives birth to a litter of between 2 and 5 cubs

Like other cats, cheetahs cubs are born blind and helpless. Nevertheless, the mother leaves the cubs in the nest after a day to hunt. This duration is the time the cubs are most vulnerable. After about six weeks, the cubs accompany the mother for hunts. As such, the cubs are also attacked by other predators, especially lions, hyenas, and leopards. It is no wonder that less than 10% of cheetahs’ cubs survive into adulthood.

Threats faced by Cheetahs

In 1900, cheetahs populations were estimated at over 100,000 individuals in the wild. Now, only about 7,000 cheetahs live in the wilderness of Africa. It is the most endangered of the big cats because of the following reasons:

Illegal trade of Cheetahs

Cheetah’s skin is a hot commodity in the illegal wildlife trade. Moreover, some people target cheetah cubs for pets. The illicit trade of the cat is rife in the East Africa region, particularly Kenya, Tanzania, and Somalia. We suspect that the Middle East is the destination of most cubs.

The retaliatory killing of cheetahs

Unlike most of the other predators, cheetahs do not do well in national reserves and parks. This occurs because there is heightened competition for prey at reserves. The predators would kill cheetahs and their cubs at any opportunity. As such, there is a significant cheetah population in community lands across Africa (over 80% of cheetahs are in community lands.

The fact that cheetahs inhabit community lands and hunt during the day means they could attack livestock in herding. In many cases, a cheetah would attack a sheep or goat when the herder is not in proximity. Another sad reality is that in Africa’s pastoral communities, children herd the livestock. The predator will not even see the children while pursuing prey as children are not intimidating enough.

Herders retaliate after their livestock is killed. Cheetahs and other predators are sometimes poisoned or speared.

The good news is that many conservation organizations in Africa have a compensation scheme in the event herders lose their livestock to cheetahs or other predators. Consequently, retaliation attacks reduce in areas with compensation schemes.

Loss of habitat

Cheetahs require extensive home ranges for survival. An ideal range for one cheetah would be hundreds of kilometers or miles squared. However, human encroachment is limiting the habitat for cheetahs. The implication of reduced habitats means that they will compete more with other predators like lions, hyenas, and leopards, a fight which they will quickly lose.

Lack of genetic diversity

Cheetahs are famous for their lack of genetic variation. The species barely avoided extinction at the end of Ice Age, around 10,000 years ago. After that, there was widespread inbreeding, which led to a loss of genetic diversity. Consequently, cheetahs are prone to diseases and have low sperm quality. The situation is complicated by habitat loss that further reduces genetic diversity.

What Can you do to save Cheetahs in Africa?

You can seek to support the conservation efforts in Africa’s protected areas. This support could be achieved in a variety of ways, including:

Donating to organizations working with protecting cheetahs in Africa
Spreading the word by supporting bloggers such as ourselves through sharing content
Not participating in the illegal wildlife trade.