Asiatic cheetah: All you should know about this endangered apex predator

Asiatic cheetahs are on the verge of extinction. Despite taking ample measures it has been difficult to increase their population which is a cause of great concern.

A lot of research has been carried out to understand the reasons behind its disappearance in such a huge amount and here are some startling facts that we as responsible habitants of this planet must definitely know.

A-five year genetics study says that the Asiatic cheetahs split from their African counterparts between 32,000 and 67,000 years ago.

Comparatively, the African cheetahs are bigger but the Asiatic cheetahs though smaller have a thicker coat with more powerful slender legs and neck.

There has been a popular belief that since the Asiatic cheetahs have slender and smaller legs they are faster than the African cheetahs but there is no evidence backing this belief.

Undoubtedly, cheetahs are the fastest animals on earth sprinting at a speed of 128 kilometers per hour. It means it can run at the speed of 80 mph when it is time to catch its prey.

The diet of Asiatic cheetahs is especially the medium-sized herbivorous animals. These include Cape hares, goats, wild sheep, and Indian gazelles. All these herbivorous species are known as vigorous grazers and killing them cheetah indirectly helps balancing the population of these species.

More often these Asiatic cheetahs are found in the desert region. Since a considerable portion of these herbivorous animals is eaten as prey by the cheetahs, it helps to preserve the minimal vegetation that grows in the desert region.

There was a time when the Asiatic cheetah was found across the Middle East, India, and the entire Arabian Peninsula. But due to various factors such as habitat degradation, poaching and lack of proper food caused due to overhunting, it has been wiped out from most part of these areas.

The breeding of these enigmatic animals depends mostly on the availability of prey. But the scarcity of food has led to the diminishing population of Asiatic cheetahs.