Back to search results

Acinonyx jubatus

Assessor: Matthew Child

Sensitive in 2010
No
Family
Felidae
Reason for the sensitivity status
Wild individuals of this species are known to be removed for captive trade and are also threatened by conflict-related killing, habitat fragmentation and snaring which are all causing population decline. As this species has a small population size and occur at low densities with low reproductive success, it is vulnerable to population loss. Recovery from exploitation may be poor. Releasing data on this species can exacerbate threat and vulnerability.
This species is extremely rare in the wild and is known to be exploited, utilised or traded. The localities of remaining populations need to be protected to avoid any further exploitation, which is likely to drive it to extinction.
Exploitation extent
Significant - wild individuals of the species are known to be exploited, collected, traded or utilized in a targeted manner, and utilisation is widespread, affects the majority of wild populations and/or is causing rapid decline of the wild population.
Justification and references

Key threats include: conflict-related killing, removal for captive trade and poorly regulated captive trade, habitat fragmentation and snaring (Van der Merwe et al. 2016). Cheetahs are highly sought after animals for captivity due to their financial value and ability to be tamed into exotic pets and the threat of trade has become an international concern for Cheetah conservation. However, conservationists in South Africa have become increasingly concerned that this captive trade is impacting on the wild population through removals. During the last 10 years, 27% (N = 50) of wild Cheetahs removed from fenced metapopulation reserves have been sent to captive facilities (EWT unpubl. data). There are currently over 600 individuals in approximately 79 captive facilities in South Africa, yet a recent audit of 13 facilities showed only 36 cubs being born during the last year (Scientific Authority unpubl.data), a figure far lower than the average annual number of live Cheetah exports of 80 animals (UNEP CITES Trade database). Most facilities cannot trace individual animals and the permitting system is ineffective in monitoring the movement of animals between facilities and out of the country. Additionally, there are irregularities in the CITES permitting system. For example, some hunting trophies were exported from South Africa despite there not being a hunting quota for Cheetahs and provincial data do not reconcile with CITES trade database data.

South Africa is the world’s largest exporter of live Cheetah, and the only country to have registered two commercial captive-breeding operations with the CITES Secretariat. However, Nowell (2014) notes that most Cheetah exports have come from unregistered facilities and that provincial authorities cannot confidently say the exports are captive bred rather than wild. South Africa may be a conduit for Cheetah from across the region because of the presence of captive breeding facilities and the relative ease of absorbing wild-caught individuals into the captive system. Thus, the free-roaming population may be increasingly threatened by questionable facilities harvesting wild Cheetah for the national and international trade.

 

Nowell K. 2014. An Assessment of Conservation Impacts of Legal and Illegal Trade in Cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus. Report to the 65th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee, Geneva, Switzerland.

Van der Merwe V, Marnewick K, Bissett C, Groom R, Mills MGL, Durant S. 2016. A conservation assessment of Acinonyx jubatus. In Child MF, Roxburgh L, Do Linh San E, Raimondo D, Davies-Mostert HT, editors. The Red List of Mammals of South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. South African National Biodiversity Institute and Endangered Wildlife Trust, South Africa.

https://www.ewt.org.za/Reddata/pdf/Carnivora(5)/2016%20Mammal%20Red%20List_Acinonyx%20jubatus_VU.pdf

Population vulnerability
Population is vulnerable: size is <= 2500 mature individuals OR the number of known subpopulations is <= 5 OR range is <= 100km2 OR species at risk of localised extinctions
Justification and references

Using a population range of between 1,166 and 1,742, and assuming a mature population structure of 50%, we speculate that there are between 583 and 871 mature individuals in the population (Van der Merwe et al. 2016). Whereas, assuming a mature population structure of 60%, we speculate there are between 700–1,045 mature individuals in the population.

 

Van der Merwe V, Marnewick K, Bissett C, Groom R, Mills MGL, Durant S. 2016. A conservation assessment of Acinonyx jubatus. In Child MF, Roxburgh L, Do Linh San E, Raimondo D, Davies-Mostert HT, editors. The Red List of Mammals of South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. South African National Biodiversity Institute and Endangered Wildlife Trust, South Africa.

https://www.ewt.org.za/Reddata/pdf/Carnivora(5)/2016%20Mammal%20Red%20List_Acinonyx%20jubatus_VU.pdf

Targeted demographics
Mature (breeding) individuals are killed, significantly weakened or are permanently removed from the wild, OR immature individuals are targeted and this significantly impacts mature (breeding) individuals.
Justification and references

Animals are removed from the wild for the captive-breeding industry. 

Regeneration potential
This species has a slow population growth rate, or the growth rate varies depending on habitat, and there is a poor chance the wild populations will recover from exploitation OR a collector might feasibly harvest the entire extant population removing the chance of subsequent recruitment.
Justification and references

In comparison with other big cats, Cheetahs occur at relatively low densities (10–30% of typical densities for other large cat species in prime habitat; Durant 2007). Low cub survival combined with poor sperm quality and lower reprodcutive success around apex predatorus (Lindburg et al. 1993, Durant 2000, Van der Merwe et al. 2016) mean that regeneration potential is likely to be low. 

Lindburg, D.G., Durant, D.S., Millard, S.E., and Oosterhuis, J.E. 1993. Fertility assessment of cheetah males with poor quality semen. Zoo Biology 12(1):97-103.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/zoo.1430120109/full

Durant, S.M.. 2000. Predator avoidance, breeding experience and reproductive success in endangered cheetahs, Acinonyx jubatus. Animal Beahviour 60(1):121-130.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347200914337

Van der Merwe V, Marnewick K, Bissett C, Groom R, Mills MGL, Durant S. 2016. A conservation assessment of Acinonyx jubatus. In Child MF, Roxburgh L, Do Linh San E, Raimondo D, Davies-Mostert HT, editors. The Red List of Mammals of South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. South African National Biodiversity Institute and Endangered Wildlife Trust, South Africa.

https://www.ewt.org.za/Reddata/pdf/Carnivora(5)/2016%20Mammal%20Red%20List_Acinonyx%20jubatus_VU.pdf