Today is International Cheetah Day; Happy International Cheetah Day!
International Cheetah Day was founded by the Cheetah Conservation Fund.
International Cheetah Day is a day to celebrate Cheetahs - which are beautiful animals - and raise awareness about Cheetahs every year. International Cheetah Day happens on the 4th of December every year.
Cheetahs are one of the few big cats that exist today. There are only a handful of big cats that exist today, as many big cat species have already gone extinct. Other big cat species include - lions, tigers, leopards, and snow leopards.
There are two different species of Cheetah in the world today. The most well-known Cheetah species - the African Cheetah - is also the Cheetah species that has the biggest population. The other Cheetah species - the Asiatic Cheetah - is very rare today and on the brink of extinction.
The Asiatic Cheetah once existed in many parts of Asia. Sadly, however, these beautiful big cats are now only found in Iran. The population of the Asiatic Cheetah is very low; there are only thought to be 50 individual Asiatic Cheetahs left.
Asiatic Cheetahs are critically endangered today.
African Cheetahs have a higher population than their Asiatic cousins.
The African Cheetah is believed to have over 6,600 individual cats, but fewer than 7,500 African Cheetah's left in the wild, which means that their population is also really low. Asiatic Cheetahs are vulnerable to extinction.
The Decline Of Cheetahs
Both species of Cheetah have declined rapidly; especially over the last 100 years. It is estimated that cheetahs have declined by a massive 90% over the last 100 years!
Cheetahs face many different threats in the wild; these threats have been responsible for the Cheetah's decline and this is why these beautiful animals are at risk of extinction. The threat that Cheetahs face in the wild include - roads, agriculture, and the threat of being hunted and trapped in the wild.
Cheetahs are also at risk from the illegal pet trade. In the wild, Cheetahs are captured in the wild and then are sold off as pets.
The illegal pet trade threatens these beautiful animals' existence in the wild.
You can help Cheetahs by raising awareness about Cheetahs on social media, or by supporting charities that help Cheetahs and aim to preserve them for the future.
Fun Fact
Cheetahs are the fastest land animal in the world.
Happy International Cheetah Day!
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