Steve Winter - #natgeo photo

photo 📸 by Cheetah cubs hanging out with mom. Cheetahs are the fastest land animal and they purr like house cats! This is just one reason they are under threat, as the cubs are either captured or raised in captivity to be sold as pets to the very wealthy, though only one in six survive the journey to their new prison. Recent sting operations have shown this in East Africa!As with all big cats the number one reason for the decline of wild cheetahs is habitat loss, followed by human wildlife conflict where livestock owners kill predators in revenge killings if the predator kills their livestock. Finally comes the illegal wildlife trade, the pet trade is hitting cheetahs hard as is the trade in their skins and bones. Recent research led by Sarah Durant and colleagues suggests there may be as few as ~7100 cheetahs left in Africa, and that if their populations are to survive, they need good protection inside national parks to offset losses in community areas where they clash with farmers! Follow me for more big cats#cheetah #cub #baby #conservation #wildlife #wilderness#beauty #cheetahs
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