
Djibouti: Cheetah Spotted in Djibouti for the First Time in Over 30 Years
Team headed by Cape Town researcher makes exciting discovery during a biodiversity survey of this little-studied country
Team headed by Cape Town researcher makes exciting discovery during a biodiversity survey of this little-studied country
Good news tends to be scarce in the international conservation arena, so the recent confirmation of the presence of a wild cheetah in Djibouti after an absence of more than 30 years from this Horn of Africa country had wildlife researchers smiling broadly.
But one cheetah doesn't necessarily make a population, they warned.
Cheetahs are one of the three species that make up the continent's iconic "big cat" triumvirate. And, like their lion and leopard counterparts, cheetah numbers have been plummeting and their current geographical range has shrunk dramatically.
Formerly widespread through much of Africa and south-western Asia, cheetahs are now found in only about 9% of their historical range. Researchers suggest that this recent rapid contraction and other factors, such as their low genetic variability, warrants a change in conservation status - on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List - from "vulnerable" to "endangered".