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Description
Cheetah is a feline present throughout Africa (Algeria, Namibia, Kenya and others) and in parts of southern Asia (Iran and India, where they're currently being reintroduced).

Cheetah is commonly grouped with big cats such as lions and leopards, but, despite factually being a cat that is pretty big, genetically it's closer related to cougars, both of which are not in the Panthera genus (i.e. "big cats"). Another interesting twist in genetics is a rare color morph called "King Cheetah". Animals with this mutation have coats with intricate striped patterns instead of small spots characteristic for normal cheetahs.

Threats:
- Habitat destruction
Cheetahs need a lot of space to thrive and both man-made (construction of urban areas, commercial industries, roads and railways) and natural (bush encroachment) factors are destroying suitable habitat. On top of that, cheetah populations are already fragmented, and habitat destruction will only worsen this problem, isolating animals further.
- Poaching and trapping
Cheetahs are killed for their hide and by farmers who protect their livestock. Cubs are also collected for illegal pet trade.
- Food availability
Prey species themselves face a lot of threats, such as habitat loss and excessive hunting. A large portion of cheetah kills gets stolen by stronger carnivores, so decline of prey can cause even more problems for them than for other similar animals.

Cheetah is currently listed as Vulnerable with estimated 6,500 left in the wild.

Theme for this day was Desert/Fire/Ghost. I didn't feel like including real fire or real... ghosts?? So, instead, I more so alluded to the themes by the use of lighting and a rare color morph.
Time: 7h30m

Description
Cheetah is a feline present throughout Africa (Algeria, Namibia, Kenya and others) and in parts of southern Asia (Iran and India, where they're currently being reintroduced).

Cheetah is commonly grouped with big cats such as lions and leopards, but, despite factually being a cat that is pretty big, genetically it's closer related to cougars, both of which are not in the Panthera genus (i.e. "big cats"). Another interesting twist in genetics is a rare color morph called "King Cheetah". Animals with this mutation have coats with intricate striped patterns instead of small spots characteristic for normal cheetahs.

Threats:
- Habitat destruction
Cheetahs need a lot of space to thrive and both man-made (construction of urban areas, commercial industries, roads and railways) and natural (bush encroachment) factors are destroying suitable habitat. On top of that, cheetah populations are already fragmented, and habitat destruction will only worsen this problem, isolating animals further.
- Poaching and trapping
Cheetahs are killed for their hide and by farmers who protect their livestock. Cubs are also collected for illegal pet trade.
- Food availability
Prey species themselves face a lot of threats, such as habitat loss and excessive hunting. A large portion of cheetah kills gets stolen by stronger carnivores, so decline of prey can cause even more problems for them than for other similar animals.

Cheetah is currently listed as Vulnerable with estimated 6,500 left in the wild.

Theme for this day was Desert/Fire/Ghost. I didn't feel like including real fire or real... ghosts?? So, instead, I more so alluded to the themes by the use of lighting and a rare color morph.
Time: 7h30m