Laurie L. Marker

Cheetah Conservation Fund

It has been argued that domestication explains the ability of domestic animals to use human cues, but similar abilities exist in wild animals repeatedly exposed to humans. Little is known on the importance of the developmental stage of this exposure for developing such abilities. Orphancy and subsequent hand-rearing constitute a quasi-experimental...

Transfrontier conservation landscapes, such as the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TCA) in southern Africa, play a crucial role in preserving global biodiversity and promoting the sustainable development of local communities. However, resources to facilitate management could become scarce across large areas, leading to difficu...

Mesocarnivores fill important roles in ecological communities globally, but their distribution and abundance are often understudied. Many species have historically been regarded as vermin and subject to lethal control due to their role in livestock predation. Identifying the factors influencing mesocarnivore populations can help disentangle their r...

Understanding species distributions is key for effective biodiversity conservation. We conducted a large-scale camera trapping survey in five systematic grids across central-eastern Namibia to identify drivers of large carnivore occupancy and to predict occurrence across a broader mixed-use landscape spanning 161,629 km2. Through targeted searches...

Conservation efforts are challenged by lack of funding and ambiguity in strategic prioritisation. Flagship species generate public attention but may not adequately represent and protect biodiversity. Integrating species‐centric approaches with area‐based strategies may refine conservation outcomes and could improve achievements towards biodiversity...

Rewilding landscapes through species or population restoration is an increasingly applied practice in biological conservation. There is expanding interest in wildlife release projects for apex predator population augmentation or reintroductions in historical ranges. Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are an IUCN Vulnerable-listed species with a declining...

There has been a drastic decline in the number of cheetahs in the past century. Illegal pet trade poses a critical threat to the survival of the species and demands more attention. Genetic analysis of 55 cheetahs confiscated in Somaliland shows 100% as Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii, suggesting that illegal trade subjects A. j. soemmeringii to signi...

Zoo managed cheetahs provide an insurance population for wild cheetahs that are under threat of extinction from habitat loss, lack of prey, competition, pet trade and poaching for skin and bones. Assisted reproductive techniques including artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, and embryo transfer augment natural breeding programs but rely...

Many grassland habitats have disappeared or undergone substantial change worldwide and many obligatory grassland animal species have populations that are at risk of extinction. The Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori is the largest flying bird native to Africa and an open savanna specialist, but no research on the population ecology of the Kori Bustard in N...

The size of the home range of a mammal is affected by numerous factors. However, in the normally solitary, but polygynous, Leopard (Panthera pardus), home range size and maintenance is complicated by their transitory social grouping behavior, which is dependent on life history stage and/or reproductive status. In addition, the necessity to avoid co...

IUCN Red List Assessment for Asiatic cheetah

Intraspecific interactions shape animal social networks and regulate population dynamics. Species with solitary life histories rely on communication cues for population regulation, especially olfaction for many terrestrial mammals. Increasing evidence shows complex social structures among presumably solitary species and although social factors may...

All African felids are listed as vulnerable or endangered according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species. Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in particular have declined rapidly as a result of human impacts so that development of effective strategies and tools for conservation of this highly vulnerable...

Although cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus were once widespread in the Horn of Africa, their presence in Somaliland has not been confirmed since 2010, and they have been presumed extirpated in recent years. During 2021–2022 the Cheetah Conservation Fund and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change in Somaliland carried out two rapid surveys in the Aw...

In a recent Correspondence to Nature Ecology & Evolution, Gopalaswamy et al. are critical of the reintroduction of cheetahs into India, referring broadly to ecological, genetic and disease risks they feel have not been considered in replacing Asiatic cheetahs with the southern African sub-species. They further assert that three claims made in India...

Women make up a small percentage of the scientific community, including conservation. Today, conservation efforts are vital for the survival of many species, however there is a gender bias within the conservation field. Encouraging more women into conservation could be a key to increasing efficiency and success in conservation goals of organization...

Early deprivation of adult influence is known to have long‐lasting effects on social abilities, notably communication skills, as adults play a key role in guiding and regulating the behavior of youngsters, including acoustic repertoire use in species in which vocal production is not learned. Cheetahs grow up alongside their mother for 18 months, th...

Precise and accurate estimates of population size are fundamental to the study and conservation of wildlife. Identification of individual animals is often required to obtain such estimates, yet manual classifications by human observers induce bias, which can propagate across long-term datasets or large spatial scales. Pattern recognition algorithms...

Bush encroachment is a habitat change phenomenon that threatens savanna and grassland ecosystems worldwide. In Africa, large carnivores in bush encroached landscapes must adjust to increasing woody plant cover and biomass, which could affect predation success at multiple stages through complex and context-dependent pathways. We highlight, interpret...

Context Habitat loss and alteration affect wildlife populations worldwide. Bush encroachment alters landscapes and threatens arid and semi-arid grasslands, but its effects on predator–prey relationships and carnivore community ecology are not well understood. Predation strategies of large predators, for example high-speed pursuits versus ambush fro...

The rapid decline of cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) throughout their range and long-term studies of captive breeding has increased conservation action for this species including the study of chronic diseases. Gastritis is one of the captive diseases that leads to high mortality presented with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and weight...

Livestock guarding dogs (LGDs) are utilized worldwide as a non-lethal strategy to alleviate human-wildlife conflict. However, while studies show their effectiveness, resulting in reductions of livestock loss, there is limited research into the factors that influence individual dog variation. One factor which may be important is the proximity of the...

Large carnivores are frequently released for conservation purposes, but early efforts struggled with inadequate monitoring and reporting, resulting in poor understanding of success. Although managers have improved release practice and monitoring, the use of orphaned, captive-raised large carnivores for release remains controversial because of the p...

Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are classified as “vulnerable” species due to the low numbers persisting in the wild. Gastrointestinal diseases are very common in this species when they are kept in captivity, in particular gastritis. Clinical signs are predominantly characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and anorexia. In this study, we evalua...

African wild dogs (AWDs; Lycaon pictus) are an endangered canid species facing drastic decline throughout their range due to habitat fragmentation and persecution by humans over livestock depredation, resulting in dens destroyed and adult members of packs and pups often being killed. Breeding of captive AWDs is challenging due to high juvenile mort...

Flashing lights can work as an effective visual deterrent to protect livestock in kraals at night against wild carnivores.

Many rangelands worldwide are threatened by human population growth, so there is an urgent need for understanding how we can preserve functional diversity across these systems. The conservation and restoration of mammalian carnivores (order Carnivora) is critical because they impart important trophic cascading effects. Land use practice on rangelan...

Livestock guarding dogs (LGDs) are used all over the world to help in carnivore conservation by mitigating human-wildlife conflict. In Namibia, LGDs are used in cheetah conservation to prevent depredation of stock and reduce retaliatory killings. However, behavioral problems in the dogs, such as chasing wildlife and harassing livestock, exist leadi...

People who live in areas with high diversity often do not have access to training opportunities because of the gaps in critical training areas, although a wealth of opportunities are available to conservation practitioners. There is a need to offer cost-effective, strategic, evidence-based, sustainable, equitable, and adaptive capacity-building tra...

Cheetahs are on the list of the most endangered feline species of Africa. To have an effective conservation effort it is important to have a global idea of their health, their behaviour, their environment, and their genetic. This multidisciplinary vision is the leitmotiv of the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia. A lot of African felines have blo...

Scent‐marking sites may facilitate interspecific information gathering and could help to minimise the risk of encounter with interspecific competitors. Recent evidence from South Africa shows that cheetahs avoid dominant predators at scent‐marking sites, which may delay or inhibit intraspecific communication in cheetahs. However, little is known on...

Double-brooding is an avian breeding strategy where birds produce at least two successful nests in a single season. Double-brooding is seen most frequently in small passerines for which the breeding season is lengthy enough that they can easily fit in multiple nesting attempts. Such a pattern of breeding is therefore less common among large birds w...

Preventing human-wildlife conflict is key to maintaining viable predator populations. In Namibia, over 90% of cheetahs are found outside of protected areas, therefore risk of conflict with farmers is high. Since 1994, the Cheetah Conservation Fund has implemented a programme to prevent livestock depredation using livestock guarding dogs (LGDs). Lon...

Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are a keystone predator of savanna systems in Africa, yet their populations have dramatically declined due to pressures such as human-wildlife conflict, loss of habitat, and most notably the illegal trade in live cheetah cubs as pets. We provide the most extensive dataset relevant to seized and non-intercepted illegal tr...

Livestock depredation has severe socio-economic impacts on local communities. Consequently, carnivores are often persecuted because of actual or perceived threats to livestock. Perceptions of threats are often shaped by underlying socio-cultural values, which make resolving human conflicts with carnivores complex. We conducted questionnaires with l...

OBJECTIVE: To establish a reference interval for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) determined by measuring serum clearance of a single IV dose of inulin in clinically normal cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) and compare serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) concentration in cheetahs with GFR. ANIMALS: 33 cheetahs housed at 3 institutions. PROCEDURES: A...

Assessing trends in abundance and density of species of conservation concern is vital to inform conservation and management strategies. The remaining population of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) largely exists outside of protected areas, where they are often in conflict with humans. Despite this, the population status and dynamics of cheetah outsid...

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is listed as a vulnerable species by the International union for the conservation of nature (IUCN), including two critically endangered subspecies, the Saharan cheetah, and the Iranian cheetah, so it is imperative that we understand variation in cheetah morphology to make good decisions regarding the conservation of t...

As cheetah populations continue to decline and cheetah habitat becomes increasingly fragmented, the need for cheetah translocation and reintroduction programs becomes stronger. The majority of translocations into free-ranging environments have been into areas with existing cheetah populations, through which valuable knowledge to guide future reintr...

The captive cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) population is an important component in conservation planning. Cheetahs have been recorded in zoos since 1829 in Europe. Since then the global captive population has grown to 1722 in 2014, due to a combination of collection from the wild and increasingly successful captive breeding efforts. Between 1956 and 20...

In cheetah, the captive population has historically been beset by multiple degenerative and infectious diseases that have had an impact on cheetah health and breeding programs. In contrast, the free-ranging population has been relatively free of these same diseases. Although research into feline infectious peritonitis mortalities at a few zoos in t...

Human livelihoods have shifted from dependency on the lands' natural resources to exploitation of resources through increased human populations and intensive farming. Particularly in rural communities, the link between biodiversity and traditional livelihoods was rooted in cultural values that have now been largely lost. Land-use changes often caus...

Cheetahs have unique social and mating systems, as well as hunting techniques. Males are either territory holders defending small territories or floaters roaming in large, overlapping, undefended home ranges. Both spatial tactics are adopted by solitary males or coalitions of males. Females are solitary unless accompanied by offspring. They give bi...

Cheetahs rely heavily upon unprotected land for their habitat requirements, so frequently come into conflict with humans because of their potential to predate upon livestock and farmed game. However, the costs imposed by cheetahs vary, and these costs do not always have a clear-cut relationship with the intensity of conflict caused. Here, we descri...

Cheetahs are often found outside of state-owned protected areas and require landscape scale management not provided by individual farms. Collaborative ventures between landowners or users have a potential to provide management at the spatial scale intrinsic to the species. And, collaborative networks can fill gaps in the landscape not protected by...

It is estimated that, between November 2005 and December 2015, over 1000 cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) have been removed from the wild for the illegal pet trade, or killed for their pelts and other body parts for clothing, ornaments, traditional ceremonies, and folk remedies. The main problem is the smuggling of young cheetah cubs snatched from their...

In the course of human history, cheetahs have consistently been a part of human societies in various forms, although their primary role seems to have been as hunting animals. In Africa, they had significant roles in religion, mysticism, and hunting. This was true particularly in northern Africa, where they were highly present in Egyptian culture. I...

With only an estimated 7100 free-ranging adult and adolescent individuals left worldwide, the cheetah's (Acinonyx jubatus) survival requires the scaling up of conservation action. This chapter highlights the threats presented in this book and summarizes the actions being undertaken by cheetah conservationists, non-government organizations, and gove...

In this chapter we provide an overview of educational programming used across cheetah conservation organizations, and include considerations for designing, implementing, and evaluating such programs for success. Examples are taken directly from existing organizations, and resources and references are provided to assist future practitioners.

From allozymes in 1983 to whole genomes in 2015, genetic studies of the cheetah have been extensive. In this chapter we provide an overview of the available literature. Overall, patterns of genetic variation provided evidence of low variability and suggest this loss occurred thousands of years ago. Differences between published subspecies were supp...

Mitigating conflict between livestock farmers and cheetahs is key to conserving the species. Livestock guarding dogs (LGDs) have been used to reduce livestock losses to carnivores around the world. In Africa, cheetah conservation organizations have introduced purebred Anatolian Shepherds, encouraged the use of local dogs, and have experimented with...

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) populations have dramatically declined due to habitat loss and fragmentation, declining prey base, conflict with livestock and farmed game, and illegal trade. Anthropogenic climate change multiplies all of these threats, increasing risks to future cheetah survival. Rising greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations prolong atmosp...

The cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, is a charismatic, and iconic species that, due to its uniqueness and extreme popularity over the epochs, has been exploited to near extinction. Once found on three continents, this streamline carnivore is disappearing rapidly from its former range and faces a bleak future due to numerous factors, including, popularity...

Cheetah reproductive physiology is well studied, with extensive research conducted on both ex situ and in situ populations. Cheetahs reproduce throughout the year and maintain a unique social structure, compared to other felids, that is critical to their reproductive success. Free-ranging cheetahs have increased fecundity compared to counterparts h...

Noninvasive techniques hold many potential advantages including limiting capture and handling stress in wild animals. Scat (feces) samples provide a geophysical landmark and are a biological source for a range of biomedical and ecological questions. The cheetah's low densities lead to difficulties to study them in the wild, including challenges to...

As wild cheetah populations continue to decline, captive populations in zoological institutions, breeding and conservation centers grow in importance. Though similar in many aspects to other species in the felid family, cheetahs exhibit unique adaptations that can make their captive care more challenging. They are more susceptible to stress induced...

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) populations are subjected to a variety of complex, interacting anthropogenic and natural pressures. Understanding the causes of population decline is essential for being able to develop management strategies aimed at arresting the decline or reversing negative trends. Population Viability Analysis (PVA) uses computer mode...

Preservation and protection of land have been common means to achieve species conservation, but could be argued to have limited effectiveness for wide-ranging species, such as the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), that live predominantly outside protected areas (PAs). Some regions outside PAs are reported to have higher cheetah densities than PAs because...

The cheetah has experienced a dramatic decline in its distribution, with an adult and adolescent population of 7100 individuals remaining in the wild. Southern and eastern Africa have the largest populations, whereas west, central, and northern Africa have considerably smaller populations as a regional total. In Asia cheetahs are critically endange...

Considerable research has been conducted on cheetah ecology. Cheethas can exist in a wide variety of habitats from thick shrub to open grassland, and habitat selection is based on a variety of factors, including visibility, prey density, and avoidance of competitively superior predators. Cheetahs naturally occur at low densities and require a prey...

Live capture, tagging, and sampling of free-ranging animals are important means of acquiring health, genetic, and ecological data for wildlife conservation and management. We summarize best-practice procedures for capture, anesthesia, handling, sample collection, and marking of cheetahs. In all capture events involving anesthesia, data collection s...

Worldwide, decline in ungulate species abundance has a direct detrimental impact on cooccurring predator species. The objective of this chapter was to assess the conservation status of ungulates in North and West Africa, and the likely consequence for the endangered northwest African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki). Many of the cheetah's prey spec...

Built for speed, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is adapted for a running lifestyle. This chapter covers musculoskeletal and thermoregulatory adaptations that contribute in making it the world’s fastest land mammal. It also covers physiological and morphological traits relating to characteristics of the cheetah’s physical appearance, vocalizations,...

Cheetahs: Biology and Conservation reports on the science and conservation of the cheetah. This volume demonstrates the interdisciplinary nature of research and conservation efforts to study and protect the cheetah. The book begins with chapters on the evolution, genetics, physiology, ecology and behavior of the species, as well as distribution rep...

Cheetahs: Biology and Conservation reports on the science and conservation of the cheetah, both in situ and ex situ . This volume demonstrates the interdisciplinary nature of research and conservation efforts to study and protect the cheetah. The book begins with chapters on the evolution, genetics, physiology, ecology and behavior of the species...

The dwindling wildlife species of our planet have become a cause célèbre for conservation groups, governments and concerned citizens throughout the world. The application of powerful new genetic technologies to surviving populations of threatened mammals has revolutionized our ability to recognize hidden perils that afflict them. We have learned ne...

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is most recognized for its dark stripes against an orange background. Less well known are three other pelage color variants: white, golden and stripeless snow white (Figure 1A).

Multiple anesthesia protocols have been used in the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Twenty healthy, captive cheetahs were immobilized with dexmedetomidine (15.8 6 1.9 lg/kg), butorphanol (0.22 6 0.03 mg/kg), and midazolam (0.18 6 0.03 mg/kg) by intramuscular injection. Induction, recumbency, and recovery times were recorded, and physiologic parameters...

Multiple anesthesia protocols have been used in the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Twenty healthy, captive cheetahs were immobilized with dexmedetomidine (15.8 ± 1.9 μg/kg), butorphanol (0.22 ± 0.03 mg/kg), and midazolam (0.18 ± 0.03 mg/kg) by intramuscular injection. Induction, recumbency, and recovery times were recorded, and physiologic parameters...

Establishing and maintaining protected areas (PAs) are key tools for biodiversity conservation. However, this approach is insufficient for many species, particularly those that are wide-ranging and sparse. The cheetah Acinonyx jubatus exemplifies such a species and faces extreme challenges to its survival. Here, we show that the global population i...

Significance Here, we compile and present the most comprehensive data available on cheetah distribution and status. Our analysis shows dramatic declines of cheetah across its distributional range. Most cheetah occur outside protected areas, where they are exposed to multiple threats, but there is little information on population status. Simulation...

Namibian cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are known to use specific trees when choosing sites for scent-marking and these are normally large and visually conspicuous trees, often referred to by Namibian farmers as “playtrees”. The aim of this study was to identify the physical and ecological attributes of known scent-marking trees within a fixed area an...