Hunting Portal Namibia: Cheetah

Cheetah

Weight:
Males: 40 - 65 kg
Females: 35 - 50 kg

Life expectancy:
15 years

Food:
Small, medium and large mammals, large birds

Mating season:
Throughout the year, 2 to 6 cubs

The fastest among the African cats is the cheetah, which is at home in all savanna landscapes of Namibia. Cheetahs reach a shoulder height of about 80 cm and weigh over 50 kg. In the short term, they are expected to reach speeds of around 100 kilometers per hour during the chase. Hidden in the grass or sneaking up on their prey, however, it is difficult to spot the predominantly diurnal hunters.
Usually the female is seen together with juveniles and "semi-strong", the males, on the other hand, individually, but this also seems to depend on the preferred available prey: If mainly larger animals are torn, cheetahs also hunt in larger groups.

The main occurrence with around 2,500 specimens is in the farmland of Namibia, where the cheetahs have practically no natural enemies. If other predators are present, many young cheetahs left alone by hunting parents fall victim to them. Often the cute little ones betray themselves by a bird-like chirping.
Livestock breeders in Namibia claim that the cheetahs, which, unlike all other cats, cannot retract their claws, cause the equivalent of up to € 1.5 million annually among the game, preferably springboks, cattle calves, Karakul sheep and goats – which does not exactly make them popular.
The trophies of cheetahs shot in Namibia with state permission can be legally imported into the Federal Republic of Germany (with special permission from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation). In all other countries, these cats are protected. Even if hunting has been legalized – the shooting fees can at least partially compensate the farmer, so that he does not shoot every cheetah that is harmed out of self-interest – planned hunting is still possible: cheetahs are not territorial and roam far and wide. As a rule, they do not return to a crack in order to completely utilize their prey. Accordingly, even a luder is not promising.