Cheetahs Need Us: December 4 is International Cheetah Day!

The cheetah – the world’s fastest land animal – needs our help to win the race against extinction, and a great way to show your support is to celebrate International Cheetah Day on December 4!

The Cheetah Conservation Fund reports that cheetahs are currently found in only nine percent of their historic range. They are now extinct in their Asian range except for a small population in Iran of about 50 individuals. These amazing cats once ranged across the entire African continent (except for the Congo Basin), and into Asia from the Arabian Peninsula to eastern India.

There are fewer than 7,100 cheetahs left in the wild.

Cheetahs are disappearing rapidly due to the all-too-common deadly trifecta of human-caused reasons:

1. Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation
2. Human-wildlife conflict
3. Illegal wildlife trade

You can help cheetahs by celebrating International Cheetah Day

The most informative place to start is the International Cheetah Day website, which is chock full of cheetah facts (here are just a couple):

• Cheetah speed: The cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal. They can run 70 mph (or 110 kph), which is as fast as cars drive on the highway. The cheetah can reach its top speed in just 3 seconds!
• Spotted skin: The cheetah’s fur is covered in solid black spots, and so is their skin! The black fur actually grows out of the black spots on their skin.
• There are also tons of cheetah facts on the Cheetah Conservation Fund’s website!

You can find a list of International Cheetah Day Events (or add your own!) here.

Be sure to show your support on social media for International Cheetah Day:

• Use the #IntCheetahDay and #SaveTheCheetah hashtags.
• Join the International Cheetah Day twitterstorm: Tweet sheet is here.
• Instagram pics to share and Facebook Frames and Profile pics are here.

For more information about International Cheetah Day, contact the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

(via World Jaguar Day)

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