Friday 25 November 2022 08:56 AM Cheetahs could soon be EXTINCT in the African Savannah, study reveals trends now
Cheetahs are an iconic animal of the African savanna, but scientists warn this majestic cat and other large carnivores are on the brink of extinction - and humans are to blame.
Along with the spotted mammals are wild dogs and hyenas that could soon disappear due to habitat loss, human persecution, and reduced prey.
Researchers with the University of Oxford found that the animals' plight has been overlooked due to the focus on lions, leopards, and other top predators and regions like South Africa, Kenya, and Northern western and central Africa are under-represented.
Specifically, 26 countries currently lack published estimates - especially Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Chad.
Identifying knowledge gaps will improve conservation efforts by guiding funding, investment and priorities, according to scientists.
Cheetahs living in the African savanna are on the brink of extinction, but a lack of focus on the region has left the dwindling numbers unnoticed
Lead author Dr Paolo Strampelli, of the University of Oxford, said: 'Research effort is significantly biased towards lions and against striped hyenas despite the latter being the species with the widest continental range.
'African wild dogs also exhibited a negative bias in research attention, although this is partly explained by its relatively restricted distribution.'
The African savanna ecosystem is a tropical grassland with warm temperatures year-round and seasonal rainfall.
The savanna is characterized by grasses and small or dispersed trees and is the largest biome in south Africa - covering 46 percent of the region.
The savanna (dark, tan color) is characterized by grasses and small or dispersed trees and is the largest biome in south Africa - covering 46 percent of the region
It covers Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote D'ivore, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana and South Africa.
Scientists estimate that fewer than 8,000 African cheetahs throughout all of
