Cheetah (Acinonyx Jubatus), Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
The cheetah is the fastest living terrestrial animal in the world. Historically present across Africa and Asia, the cheetah has experienced major contractions in range and population size, threatening the survival of the species. It is now present in less than 1/10th of its historical range in eastern Africa, and just 1/5th in southern Africa, and has all but disappeared from Asia (other than an isolated pocket in Iran). Southern and eastern Africa both hold globally significant populations, several of which straddle international boundaries. Loss and fragmentation of habitat have historically and today represent the over-arching threat to cheetahs. Cheetahs range more widely (up to 1000km2) and therefore need far larger areas to survive than almost any other terrestrial carnivore species, and are therefore more sensitive to habitat loss.
Year: 2015
From album: African Biodiversity
Photographer: Peter Prokosch