Cheetahs Race for Survival: Ecology and Conservation

There are only about 7,100 adolescent and adult cheetahs remaining in the wild. With the majority occurring outside protected areas, their numbers are rapidly declining. Evidence-based conservation measures are essential for the survival of this species. Genetic data is routinely used to inform conservation strategies, e.g., by establishing conservation units (CU). A commonly used marker in conservation genetics is mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Here, we investigated the cheetah's phylogeography using a large-scale mtDNA data set to re ne subspecies distributions and better assign individuals to CUs. Our dataset mostly consisted of historic samples to cover the cheetah's whole range as the species has been extinct in most of its former distribution. While our genetic data largely agree with geography-based subspecies assignments, several geographic regions show con icting mtDNA signals. Our analyses support previous ndings that evolutionary forces such as incomplete lineage sorting or mitochondrial capture likely confound the mitochondrial phylogeography of this species, especially in East and, to some extent, in Northeast Africa. We caution that subspecies assignments solely based on mtDNA should be treated carefully and argue for an additional standardized nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker set for subspecies identi cation and monitoring. However, the detection of the A. j. soemmeringii speci c haplogroup by a newly designed Ampli cation-Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) can already provide support for conservation measures.

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“…For PCR 1, the primer ligation multiplex PCR, we used 6. 25 S3). We used 1 µL of the PCR product of PCR 1 as template for PCR 2.…”

Section: Dna Extractionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The potential and shortcomings of mitochondrial DNA analysis for cheetah conservation management

Meißner

Winter

Westerhüs

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…There was a time when Cheetahs dominated the forest landscape in the world, and today its population has been estimated at around 7100, which constitutes 90% lesser than what it was a century before. Many studies indicate a reduction in its habitat to 9% and 80% of the Cheetahs living outside the protected area (PAs) [10]. A study was carried out in central India, which reveals that connectivity for the tiger movement is highly fragmented and overlaps with the urban and rural settlements.…”

Section: Cheetah's Speed Is Its Weakness In Knp Woodlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kuno National Park is not yet ready for Cheetahs

Singh¹

2022

TABCJ

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Ecology is a science, and the ecosystem runs on a set of principles; there is no denying this. The last Indian Cheetah was shot in 1952 in its habitat, which was more open with grassland and shrubs in the arid and sub-arid ecosystem. Over time the habitat was altered, and the last Cheetah is reported to take refuge in the wooded Sal (Shorea robusta) forest of the then Madhya Pradesh. The situation has worsened since then; let us admit it. Introducing Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) from Namibia is a decision taken in haste without considering its guild ecology. This action will not only distract our attention from the deteriorating forest ecosystem of the country but also from other pressing and critical conservation priorities. Five females and three males were relocated to Kuno National Park (KNP) on 17th September 2022. It was decided earlier that Asiatic lions would be relocated to KNP. Still, it was shelved, and the introduction of Cheetahs was put on a fast track despite the Supreme Court’s earlier decision against the introduction of Cheetahs in KNP. The Supreme Court (SC) stated in its order way back in 2013 that “The decision taken by MoEF (Ministry of Environment and Forest) for introduction of African Cheetahs first to Kuno and then Asiatic lion, is arbitrary, an illegal and clear violation of the statutory requirements provided under the Wildlife Protection Act. The order of MoEF to introduce African Cheetahs into Kuno cannot stand in the eye of the law, and the same is quashed”. A survey was conducted to relocate Cheetahs, and out of the three locations, KNP was chosen; the other two were: Shahgarh Landscape in Jaisalmer and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. The Supreme Court, in its order in 2020, permitted Cheetah introduction on an experimental basis. The stated objective of the ministry of environment and forest in this project is: “Establish viable Cheetah meta-population in India that allows the Cheetah to perform its functional role as a top predator and provides space for the expansion of the Cheetah within its historical range, thereby contributing to its global conservation efforts”. However, the stated goal will not be able to fulfill its desired purpose.

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“…Cheetah are considered "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, having disappeared from approximately 90% of their historical range in Africa (Durant et al, 2017;Menotti-Raymond & O'Brien, 1993) and present relatively low genetic diversity across the species range (Menotti-Raymond & O'Brien, 1993). The majority of remaining cheetah are found in Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa (Durant et al, 2017;Marker, 2019). Cheetah reintroductions in South Africa intensified in the early 2000s, with most of the remaining population currently managed as a growing metapopulation comprising over 461 cheetah on 63 fenced reserves.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Successful predatory‐avoidance behaviour to lion auditory cues during soft‐release from captivity in cheetah

et al. 2021

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Due to global biodiversity declines, conservation programmes have increasingly had to consider reintroducing captive animals into the wild. However, reintroductions often fail as captive individuals may be naïve to predators and do not recognise or respond appropriately to predatory cues, contributing to high mortality rates soon after release. This study evaluates differences in predator-response behaviours between individuals from three experimental groups, a captive population (n = 13), a semi-wild population (i.e. raised in captivity and successfully released; n = 6) and a wild population (n = 2) of cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) to an artificially simulated auditory threat of lions (Panthera leo), a larger, natural predator in South Africa. Such comparisons improve our understanding of differences between captive and wild behaviours and provide an aspect to evaluating the relative success of reintroduction programmes.Changes in the proximal distance, the latency of approach and hesitation towards both control (African bush cricket, Acanthoplus discoidalis) and treatment (lion) auditory cues were observed for 29 cheetah from captive, semi-wild and wild populations in at least three trial replicates each. Overall, captive individuals consistently displayed poor predatory-response behaviours, approaching the treatment as often as the control, as well as spending more time near the stimulus (<10 m) and hesitating more often than semi-wild cheetah, which could distinguish between the control and treatment, consistently fleeing from the latter with little hesitation. Repeatability analyses indicated that these behavioural responses to predatory cues could not be explained by individual personality and between-trial learning comparisons showed no evidence of habituation. Our findings demonstrate how a priori testing for predator naïvety could inform future introductory decisions and thereby increase post-release survival rates, significantly improving the efficacy of reintroduction strategies. We, therefore, emphasise the importance of such research and screening in highly threatened species, such as cheetah, where reintroduction from captivity has become a necessary consideration.

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Cheetahs Race for Survival: Ecology and Conservation

Cited by 5 publications

References 49 publications

The potential and shortcomings of mitochondrial DNA analysis for cheetah conservation management

The potential and shortcomings of mitochondrial DNA analysis for cheetah conservation management

Kuno National Park is not yet ready for Cheetahs

Successful predatory‐avoidance behaviour to lion auditory cues during soft‐release from captivity in cheetah

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