Cheetahs Are Walking, Not Running, to Extinction
A study of cheetah energetics suggests that human activity is making their hunting more difficult.
According to recent estimates, there are fewer than 10,000 cheetahs remaining in the wild. That's down from 100,000 at the turn of the last century. The cheetah is now officially listed as a 'vulnerable' species. Scientists had assumed that their decline was due to the energy requirement of maintaining the athletic body that makes it the fastest land animal. But new research by Dr. Michael Scantlebury, from the School of Biological Sciences at Queen's University in Belfast, has found that the cheetah expends very little energy in those famous high-speed chases. In fact, their decline is the result of having to walk greater distances to find hunting grounds - a consequence of a shrinking habitat due to human encroachment.
Related Links