Wildlife managers are tracking the fastest land creatures on the planet to determine that captive-born cheetahs can thrive in wild game reserves.
These markers of success are giving conservationists rare positive news for a large cat declining across its range.
Researchers reintroduced 12 captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) into seven game reserves in South Africa, tracking them using GPS collars. They found that while three cheetahs died over the two years that they were studied, the remaining cats survived and even reproduced—all females reproduced within four months of release. These cats have now produced 36 cubs and 19 grand cubs.
While these reserves were fenced, the research reveals that captive-bred cheetahs can succeed in the wild in areas already populated with wild cheetahs.
