The Saharan Cheetah
The Saharan Cheetah (also known as the Northwest African Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus hecki. These majestic and sleek animals differ from sub-Saharan cheetahs in the several ways. They're smaller, with coats that are shorter, whiter and have spots that fade from black (around the spine) to brown (around the legs). Their faces have fewer spots, and sometimes lack tear stripes. They have also adapted their behaviour to the incredibly arid and hot Sahara Desert by becoming more nocturnal than their sub-Saharan counterparts.
Their total population is believed to number 250 individuals, and they are classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered. However, this is – at best – a guestimate, and remarkably little is known about these elusive animals. In an attempt to improve knowledge of the numbers, whereabouts and conservation concerns of Saharan Cheetahs, researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Office du Parc National de l’Ahaggar (OPNA) set out a 2800 km2 camera trap survey of the central Sahara. The images that these camera traps have taken have been nothing short of remarkable, and demonstrate how exceptionally useful camera traps can be.
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- Pat Dewil and Call of Africa Safaris
- Professional wildlife guide, conservationist, student of Africa politics and observer of human foibles. My stamping grounds are the wilds of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana, Madagascar and Cameroon and the Central Africa Republic. "Walking on the Wildside" is an attempt to share the stories of the adventures and anecdotes about the interesting people and animals I've collected along the way. www.callofafrica.co.za