Debated Taxonomy

• Acinonyx jubatus lanea, suggested as a subspecies in 1877 from a small population near the southern cape of Africa, now considered synonymous with A. jubatus jubatus.

• Acinonyx jubatus obergi, a debated subspecies from Namibia identified in 1913 and still under assessment but doubted to be separate from A. jubatus jubatus.

Location

The Southern African cheetah is the largest population of cheetahs remaining, with the total number estimated at 4,800.  These cheetah populations are dispersed in the following countries:

Angola
Bostwana
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mozambique
Malawi
Namibia
South Africa
Zambia
Zimbabwe

This subspecies was rescued from extinction by the efforts of numerous conservation groups and can be seen at each of them and on game reserves, including the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre, the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Cheetah Outreach, the AfriCat Foundation, Cheetah Plains Private Game Reserve, Kruger National Park, and more.  Cheetahs can also be found in the wild of these countries in grassland savanna habitats, but due to the encroaching bush many are forced into denser habitats which make hunting impossible.  The majority of Southern African cheetahs live in Namibia and Botswana, and the fewest in Mozambique and Malawi where the estimated populations are 90 and 50 individuals, respectively.

Visual Identification

Southern African cheetahs generally have a more golden coat than the northern subspecies.

The tear marks of the Southern African cheetah are notably thicker at the corners of the mouth than the other subspecies, and almost all of them have distinct brown mustache markings.

This cheetah has slightly thicker fur and has a slightly heavier build than most other subspecies.

The white underside of this cheetah is very distinct especially on the neck and breast, and it has less spotting on its belly then the eastern subspecies.

The spots on this cheetah's face are more pronounced, and as a whole its spots seem more dense than those of most other subspecies.

This subspecies is known to have both white and black tips at the end of its tail.

Conservation

There are many parks and reserves in the range of the Southern African cheetah, but its numbers are still on the decline largely due to bush encroachment and predation by farmers.  Conservation and research efforts primarily by the Cheetah Conservation Fund work toward educating the local populations about cheetahs and combatting the habitat loss cheetahs suffer through a variety of methods.  Visit their website and others (links located on our About Us page) to see what you can do to help save the Southern African cheetah!

DID YOU KNOW......

.........that lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas are responsible for up to 60% of cheetah cub deaths?

The next subspecies we will discuss is the Central African cheetah, which has the smallest population of the three core subspecies!  Coming soon!