Northeast African cheetah

Last updated

Northeast African cheetah
Gepard soemmeringii.jpg
A female cheetah in Zoo Landau, Germany
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Felinae
Genus: Acinonyx
Species:
Subspecies:
A. j. soemmeringii [1]
Trinomial name
Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii [1]
(Fitzinger, 1855)
Acinonyx jubatus subspecies range.png
A. j. soemmeringii range (brown)
Synonyms

A. j. megabalica(Heuglin), 1863
A. j. wagneriHilzheimer, 1913

Contents

The Northeast African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii) is a cheetah subspecies occurring in Northeast Africa. Contemporary records are known in South Sudan and Ethiopia, but population status in Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan is unknown. [2]

It was first described under the scientific name Cynailurus soemmeringii by the Austrian zoologist Leopold Fitzinger in 1855 on the basis of a specimen from Sudan’s Bayuda Desert brought to the Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Vienna. [3] It is also known as the Sudan cheetah. [4]

In the 1970s, the cheetah population in Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia was roughly estimated at 1,150 to 4,500 individuals. [5] In 2007, it was estimated that 950 individuals live inside protected areas in this region; the number of individuals living outside protected areas is unknown. [2]

This subspecies is more closely related to the Southern African cheetah than to Saharan cheetah populations. Results of a phylogeographic analysis indicate that the two subspecies diverged between 16,000 and 72,000 years ago. [6]

Taxonomy

An illustration of cheetahs from Fahhad, Abyssania by Alfred Edmund Brehm, 1895 Brehm's Life of animals - a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools (1895) (19791776963).jpg
An illustration of cheetahs from Fahhad, Abyssania by Alfred Edmund Brehm, 1895

Cynailurus soemmeringii was the scientific name proposed by Leopold Fitzinger in 1855, when he described a live male cheetah brought by Theodor von Heuglin from Sudan’s Bayuda Desert in Kordofan to Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Vienna. The name honoured Samuel Thomas von Soemmerring. [3]

Following Fitzinger's description, other naturalists and zoologists described cheetahs from other parts of Northeast Africa that today are considered synonyms of A. j. soemmeringii: [1]

Evolution

For a phylogeographic study, 95 cheetah samples were used, such as feces from wild cheetahs collected in Iran, tissue samples from captive and confiscated cheetahs, hair and bone samples from museum specimens. Study results revealed that the Northeast African cheetah and the Southern African cheetah are genetically different from each other and from the Asiatic cheetah. The Northeast African cheetah probably diverged from the Southern African cheetah between 32,200 and 244,000 years ago. Therefore, it was proposed that it deserves a subspecific status. [6]

Physical characteristics

At Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire Cheetah looking.jpg
At Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire

Like its relative to the south in East Africa, the Northeast African cheetah is fairly large. Physically, it most resembles the East African cheetah; it has a densely ochraceous spotted coat with relatively thick and coarse fur in comparison to its relatives from eastern and northwestern Africa. The belly of the Northeast African cheetah is distinctly white while its breast and throat can have some black spots similar to the eastern subspecies. However, it is the darkest in fur color. This cheetah has the most widespread and separated black dorsal spots, but smaller than that of the East African cheetah's. [9] [10] In contrast to the East African cheetah, the Northeast African cheetah has no spots on the hind feet, although some among the Chadian population have spotted hind legs. [4] This cheetah has distinct white patches around its eyes but the facial spotting can vary from very dense to relatively thin. The Northeast African cheetah has been seen with both white and black tipped tails, although certain cheetahs' tails are white tipped. This subspecies' tail is also notably thick.

This subspecies has the largest head size, but sometimes can get relatively smaller. However, it does not have mustache markings. The tear marks of this cheetah are highly inconsistent, but they are frequently thickest at the mouth corners, unlike those of the other four subspecies. This cheetah is the only subspecies not being reported to show a rare color variation. However, despite having the darkest fur color, certain cheetahs' fur color can be pale yellow or almost white as well. In cold climates, such as in Whipsnade Zoo, Northeast African cheetahs are the only African subspecies that can develop fluffy winter fur coats, although they are less developed than that of the Asiatic cheetah's. [11]

Distribution and habitat

Cheetah populations [2]
CountryEstimate
Flag of Ethiopia.svg Ethiopia 500
Flag of South Sudan.svg South Sudan 462
Total962

The Northeast African cheetah is regionally extinct in Eritrea, Djibouti, and northern Somalia. In 2007, the estimated total Northeast African cheetah population approximated 950 individuals. In Ethiopia, this subspecies is resident in Omo, Gambella, Aledeghi, Mago, and Yangudi Rassa National Parks, and in Borena Zone, Ogaden, Afar and the neighbouring Blen-Afar Regions. In South Sudan, populations are known in Boma, Southern, Radom and Badingilo National Parks. [2] [12]

It inhabits wide open lands, grasslands, semi-arid areas, and other open habitats where prey is abundant such as in the East Sudanian Savanna. It is rarely seen in northern regions of Sudan. Wild cheetahs have been spotted in An Nil al Azraq in southeastern Sudan.[ citation needed ]

Ecology and behavior

Hunting and diet

Northeast African cheetah Northeast African cheetah.jpg
Northeast African cheetah

The cheetahs are carnivorous and mostly feed on herbivorous animals, such as Grant's gazelles, Cape hares, guineafowls and large animals like hartebeests, plains zebras and Barbary ostriches on few occasions. The Soemmerring's gazelles are the most preferable prey. However, lack of Soemmerring's gazelles in the Northeast African cheetah's region caused near extinction in Sudan.

Enemies and competitors

Like other subspecies, they are threatened and outranked by larger predators in their area, such as lions, [13] leopards, spotted hyenas and wild dogs, as they can kill cheetahs and steal their carcasses. The cheetahs would surrender their meals to spotted and striped hyenas. Cheetahs are known to be unable to defend themselves against these predators. However, coalitions of male adult cheetahs can chase predators away. Additionally, a single cheetah can chase jackals, golden wolves and a lone wild dog away.

Threats

The Northeast African cheetah is threatened by poaching, illegal wildlife trade, hunting, habitat loss, and lack of prey. There is an increasing rate of Northeast African cheetah cubs mostly from Somaliland being smuggled to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. [2] Between 1972 and 2007, land-use changed considerably in Ethiopia's Afar Region. The extent of cultivated land increased by more than 700%, whereas woodland and grassland decreased by about 90%. The main cause for the reduction of woodland cover is firewood collection and charcoal production for sale, and use of wood for construction of houses. [14]

The cheetah is highly threatened by the illegal pet trade from Somaliland. Cheetah cubs are sold on the black market for over $10,000 but rescuing a single cub costs more than three times that much. The majority of captive cheetah cubs is thought to die before they are exported from Africa. [15] [16]

Conservation

At the Djibouti Cheetah Refuge Cheetah in the shade DVIDS147321.jpg
At the Djibouti Cheetah Refuge

Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation

The cheetah, together with the African wild dog, is considered emblematic of Ethiopia. [17] A conservation project for wild animals started first in 2006 after "real lack of awareness in Ethiopia about the treatment of animals". [18] The conservation goal is to ensure the increasing populations of cheetahs and other threatened wild animals in Ethiopia. [19] Following the illegal pet trade of cheetah cubs of Somaliland to the Middle East, the Ethiopian Born Free Foundation had confiscated the cheetah cubs from Somalia and started a semi-captive breeding project for them in order to save the species and reintroduce them into the wild. [20] The rescued Somali cheetahs reside at Ensessakotteh in a spacious enclosure. [21] [22]

Semi-captive breeding program

There is a reproduction programme for the cheetah at the Djibouti Cheetah Refuge in Djibouti City, which first started in 2004. [23] The Djibouti Cheetah Refuge (also known as DECAN Cheetah Refuge) was first constructed in 2002 and the initial phase was opened a year later. [24]

Rewilding project in Arabia

Cheetahs in Sir Bani Yas, the UAE Cheetahs sir bani yas.jpg
Cheetahs in Sir Bani Yas, the UAE

There is also a rewilding project from the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife for cheetahs breeding in wildlife parks and those in captivity in the Middle-East, such as in the Arabian Wildlife Park from Sir Bani Yas, the Al-Ain Zoo and Sharjah's Arabian Wildlife Centre from the United Arab Emirates. [25] [26]

Asiatic cheetahs once lived in the Arabian Peninsula until they became regionally extinct everywhere in the wild of the Middle-East in the early 1970s. The rewilding project officially started in 2008, when four captive-born Northeast African cheetahs had been reintroduced into the wild of Sir Bani Yas Island to roam free and maintain natural balance. The cheetahs are taught to breed, to survive and feed on sand and mountain gazelle on their own, then their offspring would successfully learn those instincts from their parents. [27]

Cheetahs are known to be difficult to breed and therefore, the survival rate of cheetah cubs is low both in the wild and in captivity. However, the project has been successful so far. In April 2010, the first four cheetah cubs had been born on the island from a successfully rewilded Northeast African cheetah mother named 'Safira'. According to conservation team, the cubs' mother had done an impressive job in taking care of her children. The cubs are recognized to be the first wild-born cheetahs in Arabia in 40 years. [28] [29] [30] [31]

The Al-Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP) from Qatar, Al-Dhaid Wildlife Centre from Sharjah, the Nakelee Wildlife Centre and the Wadi Al-Safa Wildlife Centre from Dubai are also part of the international breeding programme to help save the rare cheetah population which are breeding in captivity. The breeding programmes of the Middle-East are aiming to release the cheetah into the wild of Africa. There are currently 23 adults and 7 cubs in Wadi Al-Safa. [32] [33]

In captivity

Cheetahs in Chester Zoo Cheetah at Chester Zoo.jpg
Cheetahs in Chester Zoo
Two cheetah cubs in Chester Zoo Ready when you are bro (11426755416).jpg
Two cheetah cubs in Chester Zoo

There are breeding programs from Europe and the Middle East for the cheetah, such as the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) which is reserved for European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). The breeding programs have been successful. [34] The captive breeding projects for the Northeast African cheetah first started in the Middle East, after several years of populations of cheetahs decreasing due to cubs being used for commercial purposes. [18] Then European zoos started afterwards once the captive-born Northeast African cheetahs from the Arabian peninsula were sent to Zoological collections of Europe in Netherlands and Germany.

Cheetahs are known to be difficult to breed, especially in captivity. The Northeast African cheetah has been breeding in captivity for many years in Arabian zoos, such as Al Ain Zoo and Arabian wildlife centers from Qatar, Sharjah and Dubai. The cheetahs breeding in European zoos are found at Zoo Landau and Tierpark Berlin from Germany, the Chester Zoo, Bristol Zoo, Whipsnade Zoo and Marwell Zoo from the United Kingdom, Zoo de Cerza, Parc zoologique de Bordeaux Pessac and La Palmyre Zoo from France, the Plzeň Zoo from the Czech Republic, Zoo Santo Inácio from Portugal, the DierenPark Amersfoort and Beekse Bergen Safari Park from Netherlands. The Fota Wildlife Park from Ireland, which bred hundreds of South African cheetahs, has bred its first Northern cheetah in 2013. [35]

The first captive breeding projects for the Northeast African cheetah started in Sheikh Butti Al-Maktoum's Wildlife Centre in early 1994, then followed by the Sharjah's Arabian Breeding Centre in late 2002 and Wadi Al Safa Wildlife Centre in 2003, until captive-bred Northeast African cheetahs from the Middle East were sent to two European zoos, Zoo Landau and Beekse Bergen Safari Park. La Palmyre Zoo would receive the cheetahs 6 months later as well.[ citation needed ]

Tamed cheetahs

Egyptian chariot, accompanied by a cheetah and slave Egyptian Chariot (colour).jpg
Egyptian chariot, accompanied by a cheetah and slave
A tribesman bringing a cheetah and ebony as tribute to the King of Thebes (c. 1700 B.C.) Tamed Cheetah Ancient Egypt.jpg
A tribesman bringing a cheetah and ebony as tribute to the King of Thebes (c. 1700 B.C.)

Both continents of Africa and Asia had 100,000 cheetahs in the 19th century. Cheetahs were once numerous in north, central and in the Horn of Africa. They ranged in Egypt and Libya in northern Africa, from Somalia to Niger in northeastern and central Africa. Cheetahs are known to be tamed, trained and to hunt herbivorous animals. Once existing in Egypt, the Ancient Egyptians often kept the cheetahs and raised them as pets, and also tamed and trained them for hunting mammals. Tamed cheetahs were taken to open hunting fields in low-sided carts or by horseback, hooded and blindfolded, and kept on leashes. When the prey was near enough, the cheetahs would be released to go after it.

This was the Egyptian tradition that was later passed on to the ancient Persians and brought to India, where the practice with Asiatic cheetahs was continued by Indian princes into the 12th century.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheetah</span> Large feline of the genus Acinonyx

The cheetah is a large cat and the fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, with a short snout and black tear-like facial streaks. It reaches 67–94 cm (26–37 in) at the shoulder, and the head-and-body length is between 1.1 and 1.5 m. Adults weigh between 21 and 72 kg. The cheetah is capable of running at 93 to 104 km/h ; it has evolved specialized adaptations for speed, including a light build, long thin legs and a long tail.

<i>Acinonyx</i> Genus of carnivores

Acinonyx is a genus within the Felidae family. The only living species of the genus, the cheetah, lives in open grasslands of Africa and Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Captive breeding</span> Of wild organisms, by humans

Captive breeding, also known as captive propagation, is the process of keeping plants or animals in controlled environments, such as wildlife reserves, zoos, botanic gardens, and other conservation facilities. It is sometimes employed to help species that are being threatened by the effects of human activities such as climate change, habitat loss, fragmentation, overhunting or fishing, pollution, predation, disease, and parasitism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre</span> Captive wildlife breeding facility in South Africa

The De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre, also known as Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre is a captive breeding facility for South African cheetahs and other animals that is situated in the foothills of the Magaliesberg mountain range in the North West Province of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African wild ass</span> Species of wild ass

The African wild ass or African wild donkey is a wild member of the horse family, Equidae. This species is thought to be the ancestor of the domestic donkey, which is sometimes placed within the same species. They live in the deserts and other arid areas of the Horn of Africa, in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. It formerly had a wider range north and west into Sudan, Egypt, and Libya. It is Critically Endangered, with about 570 existing in the wild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dama gazelle</span> Species of mammal

The dama gazelle, also known as the addra gazelle or mhorr gazelle, is a species of gazelle. It lives in Africa, in the Sahara desert and the Sahel. A critically endangered species, it has disappeared from most of its former range due to overhunting and habitat loss, and natural populations only remain in Chad, Mali, and Niger. Its habitat includes grassland, shrubland, semi-deserts, open savanna and mountain plateaus. Its diet includes shrubs, herbs, grasses, leaves, shoots, and fruit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabian leopard</span> Subspecies of mammals

The Arabian leopard is the smallest leopard subspecies. It was described in 1830 and is native to the Arabian Peninsula, where it was widely distributed in rugged hilly and montane terrain until the late 1970s. Today, the population is severely fragmented and thought to decline continuously. Previously in 2008, an estimated 45–200 individuals in three isolated subpopulations were restricted to western Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen. However, as of 2023, it is estimated that 100–120 in total remains, with 70-84 mature individuals, in Oman and Yemen, and it is possibly extinct in Saudi Arabia. The current population trend is suspected to be decreasing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Sudanian savanna</span> Tropical savanna ecoregion in Africa

The East Sudanian savanna is a hot, dry, tropical savanna ecoregion of Central and East Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asiatic cheetah</span> Subspecies of cheetah in Asia

The Asiatic cheetah is a critically endangered cheetah subspecies currently only surviving in Iran. Its range once spread from the Arabian Peninsula and the Near East to the Caspian region, Transcaucasus, Kyzylkum Desert and northern South Asia, but was extirpated in these regions during the 20th century. The Asiatic cheetah diverged from the cheetah population in Africa between 32,000 and 67,000 years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest African cheetah</span> Subspecies of carnivore

The Northwest African cheetah, also known as the Saharan cheetah, is a cheetah subspecies native to the Sahara and the Sahel. It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. In 2008, the population was suspected to number less than 250 mature individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheetah Conservation Fund</span> Non-profit organisation based in Namibia

The Cheetah Conservation Fund is a research and lobby institution in Namibia concerned with the study and sustenance of the country's cheetah population, the largest and healthiest in the world. Its Research and Education Centre is located 44 kilometres (27 mi) east of Otjiwarongo. The CCF was founded in 1990 by conservation biologist Laurie Marker who won the 2010 Tyler Prize for her efforts in Namibia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somali ostrich</span> Species of flightless bird

The Somali ostrich, also known as the blue-necked ostrich, is a large flightless bird native to the Horn of Africa. It is one of two living species of ostriches, the other being the common ostrich. It was also previously considered a subspecies of the common ostrich, but was identified as a distinct species in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nubian wild ass</span> Subspecies of African wild ass

The Nubian wild ass is the nominate subspecies of African wild ass, and one of the ancestors of the domestic donkey, which was domesticated about 6,000 years ago. It is presumed to be extinct, though two populations potentially survive on the Caribbean island of Bonaire and in Gebel Elba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheetah reintroduction in India</span> Introduction of southeast African cheetahs in India

More than 70 years after India's native subspecies of the cheetah—the Asiatic cheetah —became extinct there, small numbers of Southeast African cheetah have been flown in from Namibia and South Africa to a national park in India. The experiment has been permitted by India's supreme court on a short-term basis to test long-term adaptation. The Asiatic subspecies is now found only in Iran in critically endangered numbers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Ain Zoo</span> Zoo in Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the UAE

Al Ain Zoo, also "Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort" or simply "Al Ain Wildlife Park", is a 400-hectare (990-acre) zoo located in the foothills of Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. It is primarily composed of ungulates and herbivores, such as Arabian antelopes. It also holds oryx, eland, gazelle, and lechwe, as well as the rare white lion and Nubian giraffe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East African cheetah</span> Subspecies of carnivore

The East African cheetah, is a cheetah population in East Africa. It lives in grasslands and savannas of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Somalia. The cheetah inhabits mainly the Serengeti ecosystem, including Maasai Mara, and the Tsavo landscape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southeast African cheetah</span> Subspecies of carnivore

The Southeast African cheetah is the nominate cheetah subspecies native to East and Southern Africa. The Southern African cheetah lives mainly in the lowland areas and deserts of the Kalahari, the savannahs of Okavango Delta, and the grasslands of the Transvaal region in South Africa. In Namibia, cheetahs are mostly found in farmlands. In India, four cheetahs of the subspecies are living in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh after having been introduced there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nubian giraffe</span> Subspecies of giraffe

The Nubian giraffe, also known as Baringo giraffe or Ugandan giraffe, is the nominate subspecies or species of giraffe. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and Sudan. It is currently extinct in the wild of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Eritrea. The Nubian giraffe used to be widespread in northeast Africa. The subspecies was listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN in 2018 for the first time due to a 95% decline in the past three decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laohu Valley Reserve</span> National reserve in South africa

The Laohu Valley Reserve (LVR) is a nature reserve located near Philippolis in the Free State and near Vanderkloof Dam in the Northern Cape of South Africa. It is a roughly 350-square-kilometre private reserve.

Laurie Marker is an American zoologist, researcher, author, educator, and one of the world's foremost cheetah experts, who founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in 1990. As executive director of CCF, among many endeavors, Marker helps rehabilitate cheetahs and reintroduce them to the wild, performs research into conservation, biology and ecology, educates groups around the world, and works toward a holistic approach to saving the cheetah and its ecosystems in the wild. Before her work with CCF, Marker's career started to take off at the Wildlife Safari in the U.S., where her interest with captive cheetahs began.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 533. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Durant, S.; Mitchell, N.; Ipavec, A. & Groom, R. (2015). "Acinonyx jubatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T219A50649567.
  3. 1 2 Fitzinger, L. (1855). "Bericht an die kaiserliche Akademie der Wissenchaften über die von dem Herrn Consultatsverweser Dr. Theodor v. Heuglin für die kaiserliche Menagerie zu Schönbrunn mitgebrachten lebenden Thiere". Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Classe. 17: 242–253.
  4. 1 2 Harper, Francis, (1886-1972) Sudan Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii) Extinct and vanishing mammals of the Old World: 280.
  5. Caro, T. (1994). "Conservation of Cheetahs in the wild and in captivity". Cheetahs of the Serengeti Plains: Group Living in an Asocial Species. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 345–368. ISBN   9780226094342.
  6. 1 2 Charruau, P.; Fernandes, C.; Orozco-terWengel, P.; Peters, J.; Hunter, L.; Ziaie, H.; Jourabchian, A.; Jowkar, H.; Schaller, G.; Ostrowski, S.; Vercammen, P.; Grange, T.; Schlotterer, C.; Kotze, A.; Geigl, E.-M.; Walzer, C.; Burger, P. A. (2011). "Phylogeography, genetic structure and population divergence time of cheetahs in Africa and Asia: evidence for long-term geographic isolates". Molecular Ecology. 20 (4): 706–724. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04986.x. PMC   3531615 . PMID   21214655.
  7. Heuglin, T. von (1863). "Über katzenartige Raubthiere des obern Nilgebietes". Verhandlungen der Kaiserlichen Leopoldino-Carolinischen Deutschen Akademie der Naturforscher. 4 (3): 22–23.
  8. Hilzheimer, M. (1913). "Über neue Geparden nebst Bemerkungen über die Nomenklatur dieser Tiere". Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin (5): 283–292.
  9. Heller, E., Roosevelt, T. (1914) Soudan Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii) Life-histories of African game animals (1914): 248.
  10. Edmund Heller (1913). "New Races of Carnivores and Baboons from Equatorial Africa and Abyssinia" (PDF). Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. Retrieved 30 December 2016.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. "Big Picture: Bedfordshire's Easter cheetahs". BBC News. 29 March 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  12. IUCN SSC (2007). Regional conservation strategy for the cheetah and African wild dog in Eastern Africa. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN Species Survival Commission.
  13. Denis-Hoot, 198.
  14. Tsegaye, Diress; Moe, Stein R.; Vedeld, Paul; Aynekulu, Ermias (15 October 2010). "Land-use/cover dynamics in Northern Afar rangelands, Ethiopia". Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 139 (1–2): 174–180. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2010.07.017.
  15. DOTWnews (17 July 2014). "Cheetahs traded as 'luxury pets' in Middle East at risk of extinction". Destinations Of The World News. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  16. "Three cheetah cubs to enjoy new life after rescue from illegal pet trade". Wildlife Extra News. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  17. "National action plan for the conservation of cheetah and African wild dog in Ethiopia" (PDF). 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2015.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  18. 1 2 Emily Wax (9 January 2006). "Cheetahs Find Rare Refuge Amid Poverty Of Ethiopia". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  19. "Ethiopia's Cheetahs, Wild Dogs, and Lions Get National Action Plans". Wildlife Conservation Society. 19 April 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  20. "Wildlife Conservation". Born Free Foundation Keep Wildlife In The Wild. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  21. "Rescued cheetahs". Born Free Foundation Keep Wildlife In The Wild. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  22. "The Centre". Born Free Foundation Keep Wildlife In The Wild. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  23. "Endangered cheetah gives birth to three cubs in Djibouti". terradaily.com. 22 June 2006. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  24. "DECAN Cheetah Reserve". DoDLive.mil. 1 December 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  25. Rayeesa Absal (6 April 2010). "Birth of four cubs signals return of cheetah to UAE". GulfNews.com. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  26. Binsal Abdul Kader (1 January 2011). "Rewilding of Cheetahs a big success in Sir Baniyas Island". GulfNews.com. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  27. John Henzell (22 February 2010). "Survival instinct kicks in for Sir Bani Yas cheetahs". TheNational.ae. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  28. "First wild born cheetah for 40 years in Arabia". WildlifeExtra.com. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  29. "Sir Bani Yas Island nature reserve is an 'Arabian Ark'". News.com.au. 13 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  30. "The Northern Cheetah finds a new home on Sir Bani Yas Island". SirBaniYasIsland.com. 15 April 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  31. Andy Sambidge (5 April 2010). "Baby cheetahs born on Abu Dhabi island". HotelierMiddleEast.com. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  32. "Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation (AWWP)" (PDF). Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  33. Colin Simpson (29 July 2012). "Wildlife centres in UAE toast births of cheetahs". TheNational.ae. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  34. "Captive breeding of North African cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii" (PDF). September 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  35. "FOTA CELEBRATES BIRTH OF 1st BABY CHEETAH IN 5 YEARS". FotaWildlife.ie. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2015.