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I. IdentificationThe cheetah is the smallest of the large cats, and is currently one of the most endangered. The cheetah population once vastly covered the landscape of Africa and Asia. Today, people are unaware that the cheetah population is in dire trouble. The once far ranging cheetah are all but extinct in Asia, and are on the verge of extinction in Africa. Loss of habitat, commercial farming, and development, have all but eradicated the cheetah. The population of the cheetah at the turn of the century was 100,000, by 1980 it was reduced to 25,000. Today, there are fewer than 12,000 cheetah, with an estimated extinction date of 15 years (approx. 2013). Massive population decline of up to 96% (Botswana) has been normal in the past ten years. Even conservation efforts are not sustainable at the current rate of decline. The long term survival of the cheetah depends upon the reconciliation of habitat destruction and poaching with the cheetah. As the states of Africa continue to modernize, many lands that compose the cheetah's habitat range are being converted into farmlands and cattle ranches. Contact with humans have drastically impacted the numbers of cheetah in the wild in the past decade. Human encounters with cheetah have largely been on farmlands. Though the cheetah is protected by the CITES treaty, African states allow for the indiscriminate hunting of cheetah on private farmlands. Cheetah are viewed by farmers in Africa, much as the timber wolf is viewed by ranchers in North America. If the cheetah is continually hunted at its current rate by the farmers and ranchers of Africa it will become extinct with in the next decade. Wolves were successfully eradicated from England and almost completely from North America; the cheetah is continuing along this path for the same reasons. Currently, there are conservation groups who are trying to help the cheetah. These groups focus on removing cheetah from farmlands and relocating them. They also focus on breeding and testing new programs to keep the cheetah from wandering into farm ranges.
The word "cheetah" is derived from Hindi "chita", meaning "spotted one". The oldest feline of the 37 different species of cats, the cheetah originated over four million years ago, prior to the other big cats to which it is assigned to. Common throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe, the cheetah had its origins in the North American region of Texas, Nevada, and Wyoming. With the onset of the last Ice Age, approximately 10,000 years ago, all the cheetah in North America, Europe, and most of those in Asia and Africa perished. From the those cheetah that survived are descended the current stock of cheetah. The present day population of cheetah are derived from inbreeding by those very few surviving populations and closely related animals. This created the genetic "bottleneck", that has led to the present genetic state of cheetah such that all living cheetah today are more closely related than identical twins, with less than one percent genetic diversity as compared to a human's thirty-seven percent.
The Genetic Hunter
While the cheetah is suffering from a lack of genetic diversity, those genes it does have produced one of the most efficient species of cats ever to exist. Because the cheetah developed over four million years ago, it needed to have specific traits in order for it to successfully compete with other land predators. The cheetah has a course coat with round black spots, and distinctive "tear" stripes down the sides of its nose. A small head, high set eyes, and tiny ears combine with a slender, long legged body. The cheetah's flexible spine, oversized liver, enlarged heart, muscular body, non-retractable claws, and stabilizing tail make the cheetah the swiftest hunter in Africa and the fastest land mammal. The cheetah is capable of speed up to 72 mph (114 km/h) and can maintain this speed over an average prey chase of 3.5 miles. At full speed the cheetah can cover a distance of 25 ft (8 m) in a single stride.
The cheetah is a genetic hunter. Its prey is mainly small antelope that roam the plains of Africa. These creatures while populous are currently being forced out of their natural range by human development. Because of this the cheetah is forced to find new sources of food. This usually results in cheetah attacks on small livestock. A cheetah will not attempt to attack full size livestock due to its small size, and is easily frightened off by bull adults and cattle dogs. Adult cheetah have little to fear from predators. This does not mean that the cheetah is safe. The cheetah though it is a predator and needs to be concerned with its cubs being attacked by the larger cats such as the lions and spotted hyena. The genetic problem is also a factor in the endangerment of the cheetah. Should a feline disease spread among the cheetah, it could possibly wipe out the entire population.
The Human Threat
The single largest threat to the cheetah is man. Man poses threat distinctive threats to the cheetah: hunting/poaching, reduced habitat, and competition with farmers. The threat to the cheetah from hunting has been slightly reduced due to the cheetah's placement on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) treaty and the Endangered Species Act of the United States. In Namibia, the cheetah is a protected species. Despite its position within the treaty as endangered, small scale export of the cheetah (150 animals) is allowed to zoos, research facilities, and hunters. The export of the cheetah requires special licensing from both the exporter and importer. Despite this hunting practices are common. This practice usually results from captured cheetah being sold to game hunters who proceed to hunt the cheetah in a "canned" atmosphere. Government crackdown of such efforts have proved beneficial, but problems still exist in the illegal trade of the cheetah, especially in South Africa. The price of a cheetah pelt fetches a large price due to the rarity of these animals.
The early settlers and big game hunters are often considered the primary
reason for the extinction of animal life in Africa. Focus on protection of
species has always focused on curbing their activities. While this effort
is worthwhile, a more prominent threat to the cheetah existence in Africa
is the loss of habitat. The destruction, change or enproachment of lands
roamed by the cheetah have drastically altered the cheetah's life-style.
Rapid population growth and agricultural intensive programs in Zimbabwe,
South Africa, and Swaziland have altered the landscape that the cheetah
was once home to. Namibia and Botswana are fortunate to have smaller
populations due to their arid climates, but the spread of range farming
has also directly threatened the cheetah. The current expanse of national
parks in Southern Africa is helping to alleviate some of these problems,
however, the range of parks such as Kruger National Park, Etosha Nation
Park, Hwange National Park, and Chobe National Park is not enough to
maintain a stable population of cheetah in the wild. Species are similarly
threatened in these "reserves". Several sanctuaries in Africa
have become surrounded on all sides by human development. Cheetah's due to
their expansive range, are often cut-off from others of their kind.
Problems such as drought and disease can cause severe problems to the
limited cheetah population due to the confines of national parks. The
continued existence of the cheetah depends upon the proper management of
the ecosystem of Africa. Cheetah are not as adaptable as they once were.
As humans alter the ecosystem through construction and grazing livestock,
little room is provided for the cheetah. Loss of habitat and prey base,
competition with large predators and agricultural interests, have taken a
large toll on the cheetah population.
The another human factor that served to reduce the cheetah population is competition with livestock farmers. This problem is especially prevalent in Namibia. Over 95% of Namibian cheetah live on farmlands. The cheetah population is continuing to be reduced due to trapping and shooting by farmers of cheetah to prevent livestock loss. In Namibia, which has the largest cheetah population in the world; cheetah have been reduced from 6,000 animals in 1980 to less than 2,500 animals. In Namibia, cheetah habitat is continually being over taken by livestock ranchers. As farmers move onto cheetah land, their smaller livestock makes an attractive meal to an animal whose standard prey is in decline also. As such, cheetah are ruthlessly hunted by farmers who complain that the cheetah are a threat to their livelihood. Namibian laws have been enacted to protect the cheetah from indiscriminate slaughter, but these measures are rarely enforced. An estimated 6,829 cheetah were killed by farmers in the last decade. No accurate study has been conducted as of yet that indicates how many of these creatures have been killed for depredation control. Nor are any measures implemented by which the numbers of cheetah killed could be adjusted.
Conservation Efforts
The Namibian based Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) has been established to support wild cheetah conservation research and education. Part of the International Wilderness Leadership Foundation with the US program managed from the International Center for Earth Concerns in Ojai, California, USA, CCF is a multi-faceted program involving research, education, and most importantly habit protection within an ecosystem approach. The CCF has been working closely with the Namibian government, farmers, and school system to spread the importance of habitat conservation. The CCF has had some relative success in dealing with farmers. Farmers are now slightly more prone to call the CCF when they realize they have a cheetah problem in order tog et it removed from their farm without calling for its killing. They have also initiated the Controlled Taste Aversion program to discourage predators from attacking livestock. CCF further provides medical assistance to ailing cheetah and nurses them until they are able to be reintroduced into the wild. They have also introduced the Livestock Guardian Dog Program. This program provides Anatolian dogs to farmers to use to ward off cheetah. CCF has also become the owner of a 11,000 acre farm called Cheetah View through the support of a donor. The farm is intended to be used as an expansion of the livestock guard dog program. A 3,00 acre expanse has also been acquired for use as a miniature Serengetti. This area is used as an observation post for the hundreds of game that graze there.
Indiscriminate killing of cheetah by farmers to protect their livestock is not the only answer to any cheetah-farm related problems. Several low cost techniques have proven their success in warding off the cheetah. Farm management practices such as corralling cows, keeping horned steers with the herd, and introducing donkeys and dogs as herd guardians are effective in scaring the cheetah off. Other methods such as Controlled Taste Aversion have proven successful in averting the cheetah from eating livestock. This method incorporates injecting the cattle with a chemical that makes it taste repulsive to the cheetah, thereby enacting a change in what it chooses to hunt.
Several breeding conservations have surfaced in Southern Africa that are attempting to revitalize the cheetah population. These conservations are meeting with limited success, due to the difficulty of breeding cheetah in captivity. Each of these research institutes have as their goal the common desire to rehabilitate and reintroduce (when possible) the cheetah back into its natural habitat. These conservations also hope to educate the public as to the plight of the cheetah. The De Wildt Cheetah Research Center, located near Pretoria, South Africa was established twenty-five years ago. After years of intense study the center was able to finally breed a cheetah in captivity after six years. They have since successfully bread approximately 500 cheetah in South Africa, when at one point the cheetah number only 700 animals. Captive breeding has posed a problem for several reasons. The genetic "bottleneck" of the cheetah has resulted in colonies with limited genetic material and massive inbreeding in confined regions. Also, most of the male cheetah sperm is non-functional. Cheetah are continually needed to be imported from the wild to serve a role by providing fresh bloodlines. Extensive preparation is also need of the male and female prior to mating to ensure a success. Imported females also tend not to mate when taken from the wild and placed in captivity. The most prominent factor in prohibiting breeding in the wild is due to changes of habitat. Another problem with captive breeding is that few are successfully released into the wild. Cheetah cubs need to be taught to hunt by their mothers which is difficult to provide for in captivity.
The Cheetah Action Trust (CAT) is also striving to protect the cheetah. CAT's ultimate goal is to obtain land tracks that will be able to serve as conservation areas for the cheetah. Land which is often unsuitable for human use, can be ideal for the cheetah. CAT has made strenuous efforts to "de-humanize" lands by demolishing houses, fences, and roads in an attempt to recreate a natural habitat. Through this effort it is hoped that a new type of educational eco-tourism can take hold. The desire is to initiate "puposeful travel to natural areas; to understand the cultural and natural history of the environment; taking care not to alter the eco-system, while producing economic opportunities that make conservation of natural resources beneficial to local people and investors.
Despite the efforts of the various cheetah conservations in Southern Africa, the threat to the cheetah is still prevalent. The human population of the world is continuing to grow, while the once vast land ranges of Africa are shrinking. At the current rate of human expansion, the cheetah will become extinct in the wild in approximately 15 years. This travesty can be avoided however through the use of several proven techniques that are capable of allowing humans and cheetah to coexist in Africa. This problem can be avoided but it requires the active participation of all the involved parties.
Elephant
Case
Rhino
Case
Tiger
Case
Black
Rhino Case
Kenya
Tourism and Environment Case
Zambia
Wildlife Trade Case
Lake
Victoria and Extinctions Case
Keyword Clusters
Joseph Urbaniak
5 May 1998
II. Legal ClustersNumber of Parties afflicted: 136
Legal Standing: Treaty
The cheetah is an endangered species and is listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Treaty. It is also listed on the World Conservation Union (IUCN), and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Limited trade in the cheetah has been allowed by CITES for some South African Countries. The United States currently does not allow for the importation of cheetah trophies into the country due to its classification as endangered. Several organizations are currently lobbying CITES to reclassify the cheetah from endangered to threatened to allow for the importation of the cheetah into the United States. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), the Nambian Professional Hunters Association (NAPHA), and the Safari Club International (SCI) desire access to the United States' market due to the over 800 million dollars that the United States imports worth of animal furs.
Currently, approximately 150 cheetahs per year are allowed to be hunted or exported to zoos and captive facilities from the free ranging population (this does not include those killed by farmers who are legally allowed to kill any wildlife that threatens their livestock). The average fee to hunt a cheetah is $1750 US, not including safari fees which range up to and beyond $350 US/day. Cheetahs are not allowed to be shop in box traps by trophy hunters, but have been hunted ethically in areas no less than 1000 hectares. Currently, there are few unethical hunting operations that catch and sell cheetah to hunting outfits or keep them in boxtraps until a hunter is available to shoot them. To legally get a cheetah trophy out of Namibia and into the hunters home country, a CITES export from Namibia and a CITES import permit of the home country is required.
International
treaties such as CITES do not have enforcement powers. Most penalties
occur under domestic laws such the the Endangered Species Act of the
United States, which is able to issue a penalty of $20,000 US and up to
one year in jail. There currently is a small illegal trade in cheetah
stationed in South Africa, where live cheetahs are sold to trophy hunters.
Due to deficiencies in the system, South African authorities have
facilitated the illegal trade of endangered species. Poor administration,
inconsistent legislation, and inadequate trade controls have led to
substantial amounts of illegal animal shipments. South Africa has become a
laundering point for the illicit trade of animals.
III. Geographic
Clustersa. Geographic Domain: Africa
b. Geographic Site: Southern Africa
c. Geographic Impact: Namibia
Currently 95% of all remaining cheetah live on farmlands in Namibia. Habitable terrain for the cheetah ranges from grasslands, savannas, and dense vegetation, to mountains. The typical territorial range of a cheetah is anywhere from 800 sq km (310 sq miles) to 1500 sq km (581 sq miles).
IV. Trade ClustersCurrently the cheetah is protected according to Appendix I of the CITES treaty. Limited trade of the cheetah (150 animals) has been allowed but with permits from both the exporter and importer. This practice has been used to help move cheetahs from conservation societies to other zoos and research institutions. Loopholes in this arrangement have been capitalized on to allow for a limited and illegal trade of trophy cheetahs out of South Africa.
Type of Measure: [EXBAN] export ban
Impact: [DIR]ect
a. Directly Related to Product: YES, CHEETAH
b. Indirectly Related to Product: NO
c. Not Related to Product: NO
d. Related to Process: YES, Species Loss Land [SPLL]
Product type: CHEETAH
The cost of protecting the cheetah are staggering. Currently there are approximately ten cheetah conservation centers located in Africa. Each of these conservations has close ties to zoos across the world, but particularly in the United States. The cost of conserving a single cheetah is staggering. To fully fund a cheetah from birth for a period of ten years costs approximately 350,000 dollars. These costs include food, shelter, medicine, property rents, trainers, etc...The costs to one conservation shelter alone can be in the millions of dollars depending on the amount of cheetah present. In order to secure the funds needed to conserve the cheetah, conservations are continually working with zoos to raise funds. These organizations travel across the world with cheetahs hoping to seek donations. Donations alone are not enough to fund the conservations and many times employees of conservation provide their services free of charge, in order that their salaries may be devoted to the cheetah. Compared to the cost of permits to legally hunt cheetah, the amount to preserve them is staggering. If all the cheetah were legally hunted for fees, they would only generate a maximum of sum of fifty million dollars dispensed to a few individuals. The cost to preserve cheetah from extinction far exceeds this value. It needs to be asked whether fifty million dollars is worth the extinction of an entire species.
The restriction on Cheetah trade is designed to protect the cheetah population. Limited hunting is allowable, but requires a permit, which may or may not be provided. Fees for hunting cheetah and purchasing permits cost a few thousand dollars depending on the current status of the cheetah population and the country in high the hunt is to take place. Currently few countries allow the legal hunting of cheetah. The average price for those countries that do ranges from a couple of thousand dollars. Because Cheetah are not generally traded, they tend to have little impact on the economy. Cheetah are in demand but primarily by conservation groups and zoos. These institutions usually pay fees of upwards of five thousand dollars to acquire a cheetah. These fees usually cover transportation and medical expenses for the cheetah.
Industry Sector: N/A
Case Exporter: South Africa (illegal trade)
Case Importer: unknown (illegal trade)
Environmental problem type: Species Loss Land [SPLL]
Name: CHEETAH
Type: Acinonyx Jubatus
Diversity:
Acinonyx Jubatus Jubatus (S. Africa) 2,500 (Namibia) 1,500
(Botswana) 1,500 (Kenya/Tanzania)
Acinonyx Jubatus Rainey (E. Africa) less than 1,000
Acinonyx Jubatus Hecki (N. Africa) less than 1,000
Acinonyx Jubatus Venaticus(Asia) Virtually Extinct
Acinonyx Jubatus Raddei (Iran/Turkestan) approx. 200
N/A
Due to the lack of genetic diversity and the minimal success of breeding, the wild cheetah population will be extinct in less than 15 years. The average lifespan of a captive cheetah is less than 12 years. There are no estimates of wild cheetah. A study performed in East Africa indicated that 90% of all cheetah cubs die before reaching 3 months of age.
Substitute: [CONSV] greater conservation efforts
VI. Other FactorsThe cheetah has long been a status symbol of the wealthy. The pelt of
the cheetah has been a badge of wealthy through
recorded history. European and Asian gentry have hunted the cheetah for so
long that it is virtually extinct in Asia. Regulations in fur
trad1970'sing in the 1970's were enacted in an attempt to save the Asiatic
Cheetah, but these last ditch efforts have accomplished little. Cheetah
also tend to have mild temperaments, which resulted in their use as elite
hunting animals among the aristocracy of ancient Africa and Asia.