Adopt a Cheetah

Cheetahs are in a race against extinction.

Fewer than 7,100 adult and adolescent cheetahs are estimated to remain in the wild, and the species is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Once widespread across Africa and Asia, cheetahs are now found in only around 9% of their historic range.

Wild cheetah populations are declining because of habitat loss, conflict with people, poaching and the illegal pet trade. An estimated 300 cheetah cubs are taken from the wild each year to fuel the exotic pet trade in the middle east.

How your cheetah adoption helps overseas

The Aspinall Foundation works to return cheetahs from captive environments to protected areas of their natural habitat, where they can learn to hunt, live independently and contribute to wild populations.

In February 2020, The Aspinall Foundation became the first organisation to ever rewild cheetahs born in the UK.

Brothers Nairo and Saba travelled from Howletts Wild Animal Park to South Africa, where they began learning the skills they would need to survive independently. After acclimatising to their new surroundings, they were moved to Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve and introduced to native prey before being released onto the wider reserve.

There, Nairo was paired with Ava, a female cheetah who had also been successfully rewilded. Since then, Nairo and Ava have raised four litters in the wild – a remarkable outcome for two cheetahs given the opportunity to return to their natural habitat.

Their story shows what rewilding can achieve, introducing valuable genetics into wild cheetah populations and giving a new generation the chance to grow up wild and free.

The Aspinall Foundation has now rewilded a total of nine cheetahs from previously captive environments, demonstrating the important contribution carefully managed reintroductions can make to the future of the species.

Strengthening genetic diversity

Moving suitable cheetahs between international conservation programmes and protected wild landscapes can introduce valuable new bloodlines and help maintain healthier populations.

The Aspinall Foundation helped fund Edie’s journey from Australia to Mziki Game Reserve in South Africa. Now living wild at the reserve, she has the opportunity, with the right mate, to contribute new genetics to the area and support a more diverse and resilient cheetah population.

Adopt a cheetah with The Aspinall Foundation and help us return more animals to the wild and give vulnerable species a safer future.

Fun facts about cheetahs

• The cheetah is the world’s fastest land mammal, being able to reach speeds of up to 70 mph but only in short bursts.
• Their long tails act like rudders, helping them turn and balance at speed, while their semi-retractable claws provide grip in a similar way to the spikes on a sprinter’s shoes.
• Cheetahs vocalise using a range of purrs, growls, hisses and bird-like chirps. They are physically incapable of roaring, and so are not classified as true big cats.
  Unlike lions, cheetah tend to be primarily active during the day, a strategy that may help to reduce competition for food.
• Cheetah cubs can be vulnerable to predators including lions, spotted hyenas and leopards.
• A cheetah’s spots and tail-ring pattern are unique, helping researchers identify individuals in the wild.