The “vulnerable” listing by IUCN of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus in Africa has caused urgency in the protection of their habitat and development of predator management strategies. By understanding the movement and home range of cheetah in Botswana, translocation of problem cheetah or reintroduction of non-problem animals can be managed appropriately. More importantly this information will help to protect what is already there. Due to the increasing numbers of cheetahs being taken by illegal trade and poaching, there have become incidents of orphaned cubs where the only option for their survival is rehabilitation for release into the wild, or euthanasia. The first part of the study focuses on baseline information of movement patterns of cheetah in Botswana. Eleven cheetahs were collared and monitored from 2003-2007, including males and females with and without cubs from the Ghanzi and Southern districts. The understanding of cheetah movement is critical in determining methods of protection and survival of the species in protected areas living with competing predators such as lion Panthera leo, brown hyaena Hyaena brunnea and leopard Panthera pardus, as well as on farmlands where human conflict and habitat loss are the main causes of cheetah death. In the Southern district the cheetah were able to move freely in and out of the Jwana Game Reserve surrounded by communal livestock farms with low to medium conflict, utilizing various livestock protection methods, whilst Ghanzi consisted of livestock and game farms where conflict was high and protection methods were limited or nonexistent. Home ranges in males ranged from 492 km2(in single males) to 849 km2(in one coalition) in Ghanzi, while females ranged from 241 km2 to 306 km2 in Jwaneng. In addition, in order to determine the correlation between spoor density and true density, a 15 month spoor study was conducted in Jwaneng at the Jwana Game Reserve on a population of free ranging wild cheetah. A correction factor was tested and adjusted for accuracy, resulting in two formulas to be used in the wet and dry seasons. Spoor surveys are by no means a determinant factor, as they need to be repeated over time to observe population fluctuations due to outside factors, and are time consuming and can be expensive, but they are a management tool that can be utilized for estimations of cheetah densities on private farms or protected areas. The third part to the study was the rehabilitation of three orphaned cubs, from different families, that were put together from eight to twelve weeks old. The goal of this project was to raise and release fully functional, self sufficient, breeding animals into the wild population on a game farm. These cubs were raised in isolation until 1.5 years of age, then transferred to a 100 ha enclosure where they were given the opportunity to learn to hunt. Daily observations of their behavioural development and hunting abilities were recorded for 48 days and are presented in a descriptive way. At two years old they were released onto a 9000 ha game farm where their potential to survive on farmland was monitored. Botswana does not have the facilities or desire to keep predators captive, and if orphaned cubs could be utilized by placing them back into wild populations where they could add to the gene pool, alternatives would be available for captive bred animals or cheetahs facing life long captivity. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Centre for Wildlife Management / unrestricted

The project was undertaken to establish the normal intestinal flora of healthy cheetahs and to produce a species-specific probiotic for use in juvenile cheetahs in captivity to improve weight gain and reduce diarrhoea. The normal intestinal flora of healthy cheetahs was established using non-selective and selective media. High numbers of anaerobic bacteria and aerobic bacteria were isolated from the faeces of cheetahs in this study. Eight percent of isolates were Enterococcus spp. Both Enterococcus faecium and Lactobacillus Group 1 were selected for use in the probiotic. Twenty-seven juvenile cheetahs between eight and thirteen months of age were included in the probiotic trial (Median: 12 months). The probiotic was fed for 28 days to the Probiotic Group. Both the Probiotic and Control groups were monitored for 70 days prior to the administration of the probiotic and 14 days after administration. The feeding of the cheetah-specific probiotic resulted in an increase of weight in the treatment group (p=0.026, ANOVA, p<0.05) in comparison to the Control Group. There was a relative improvement in the faecal quality in the Probiotic Group in comparison to the Control Group. This was accompanied by an absence of blood and mucus in the faeces, which had been present prior to the start of the 28-day administration of the probiotic. The feeding of a cheetah-specific probiotic resulted in an improved weight gain and food conversion in the Probiotic Group in comparison to the Control Group as well as in a reduction of diarrhoea in the Probiotic Group. More research is needed on the effect of the probiotic on different age groups and animals suffering from specific diseases such as liver disease and gastritis. / Dissertation (MSc (Veterinary Science))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Veterinary Tropical Diseases / unrestricted

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) persist under continued conservation threat in small populations mostly in protected areas in an historically reduced geographic range. Home range, a useful trait for threat assessment, species reintroduction, and population estimation, is plastic in cheetah with sizes ranging from 40 km2 to over 1000 km2 depending on location. Previous home range estimates for cheetah used the minimum convex polygon (MCP), assuming asymptotic home ranges and MCP insensitivity to sample size. They reported metrics of home range size and overlap based on only outline methods. I use 6 481 observations of 240 female and 315 male cheetah from > 60 matrilines over 25 years in the Serengeti Plains to investigate lifetime, core, yearly, and seasonal range size with kernel density estimation. I investigate autocorrelation using time to statistical independence of locations. I confront the assumption of asymptotic home ranges by testing the traditional and multiscaled home range predictions and provide a novel method for determining kernel asymptotes. I challenge the notion of Serengeti cheetah as a migratory carnivore with analyses of site fidelity and objectively defined core ranges. I assess year to year and seasonal location shifts, showing that yearly shifting lessens as females age. I provide quantitative evidence for philopatry in female- and juvenile dispersal in male cheetah of the Serengeti Plains. I use simple overlap metrics to show that overlap in lifetime and core ranges is greater in related than unrelated female pairs. I use multi-response permutation procedures (MRPP) to show that overlap in unrelated female pairs varies with season. I use correlation of utilization distributions to show that avoidance is apparent only in unrelated pairs of females. My results call into question previous MCP estimates of cheetah home range size, and provide guidance for future sampling of cheetah locations. My home range results will guide management of this imperiled species and my methodological findings may be general and applicable to a wide range of taxa. / Master of Science

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF REGINA HELEN MOSSOTTI, for the Master of Science degree in ZOOLOGY, presented 23 October 2009, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: FEMALE REACTION TO MALE URINE SCENTS AS POTENTIAL INDICATOR OF MATE CHOICE IN CAPTIVE CHEETAHS (ACINONYX JUBATUS) MAJOR PROFESSOR: GEORGE A. FELDHAMER Genetic variation in the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) has become dangerously low because of dramatic population decline and fragmentation. Zoos throughout the world manage captive cheetahs with breeding programs to maximize genetic heterozygosity. Unfortunately, the zoo community has not accomplished consistent breeding success with cheetahs, possibly because of a general lack of information on sociosexual behavior. Currently, individual cheetahs are assigned mates based primarily on genetic relatedness; however, evidence from many species suggests that allowing animals to choose mates increases breeding success. When animals, primarily females, are allowed to choose mates they will often pick the best genetic match. I tested whether female cheetahs can determine their genetic relatedness to males by investigating their urine scents. Voided male urine was collected following scent marking. The female was offered scents from three different males: one from an unrelated male, a "good" mate choice (A), another from a male that was equivalent to a second cousin, an "average" mate choice (B), and one from a male that was closely related, equivalent to a brother/father, a "poor" mate choice (C). Every female was also offered "blank" gauze as a control (D). The scents were offered in a pair-wise forced choice paradigm for a total of six possible combinations. All behaviors displayed toward each scent (and their duration) were recorded. The estrous cycling of each female was monitored through fecal hormone evaluation for approximately six weeks, including the weeks during scent trials. In every pairing except C vs. D, the females spent more time overall with the better mate choice in the pair; with three of the comparisons being significantly different (A>C, t=2.38, df=11, P=0.039; A>D, t=1.88, df=11, P= 0.087 and B>D, t=2.62, df=8, P=0.045). Proximity was the most frequently observed behavior and females spent more time in proximity to the most distantly related male scent in all pairings. They spent significantly more time in proximity with A in AC pairing (t=2.25, df=10, P=0.049) and with B in the BC and BD pairings (t=6.37, df=8, P=0.0002; t=2.46, df=6, P=0.049; respectively). Sniffing was the next most frequently observed behavior, and in all pairings (except CD) females spent more time sniffing the most distantly related male's scent; but was only significantly different for A in the AD pairing (t=2.31, df=7, P=0.055). Lag time of estradiol in fecal samples varies between individuals; therefore, the affect of daily estradiol concentrations on scent choices could not be determined. This is the first mate choice study using urine with a mammalian carnivore.

This work is focused on the breeding of cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus bred in captivity. The first part is divided into two main sections and is processed using the available scientific literature. The first section describes the history and current status of taxonomic classification of individual species and subspecies of the genus Acinonyx. The second section deals with general biology of the species - characteristics, habitat, food in the wild, extending the route of exposure, morphology of the reproductive system. Separate chapters are devoted to the problems of rearing animals in breeding facilities - food cheetahs areas for breeding, a special section discusses the issues of reproduction in captivity. In the practical part, an analysis of data from the International studbook Acinonyx jubatus 2013, focusing on the reproductive success of males and females according to their origin and age. Data was transferred to MS Excel and main observed characteristics presented in the form of graphs. The resulting data were statistically analyzed.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MSc (Zoology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Zoology and Entomology / MSc / unrestricted

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MSc (Wildlife Management))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Zoology and Entomology / MSc / Unrestricted

Genetic variation is crucial for the long-term survival of the species as it provides the potential for adaptive responses to environmental changes such as emerging diseases. The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is a gene family that plays a central role in the vertebrate’s immune system by triggering the adaptive immune response after exposure to pathogens. MHC genes have become highly suitable molecular markers of adaptive significance. They synthesize two primary cell surface molecules namely MHC class I and class II that recognize short fragments of proteins derived respectively from intracellular (e.g. viruses) and extracellular (e.g. bacteria, protozoa, arthropods) origins and present them to immune cells. High levels of MHC polymorphism frequently observed in natural populations are interpreted as an adaptation to detect and present a wide array of rapidly evolving pathogens. This variation appears to be largely maintained by positive selection driven mainly by pathogenic selective pressures. For my doctoral research I focused on MHC I and II variation in free-ranging cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) and leopards (Panthera pardus) on Namibian farmlands. Both felid species are sympatric thus subject to similar pathogenic pressures but differ in their evolutionary and demographic histories. The main aims were to investigate 1) the extent and patterns of MHC variation at the population level in both felids, 2) the association between levels of MHC variation and disease resistance in free-ranging cheetahs, and 3) the role of selection at different time scales in shaping MHC variation in both felids. Cheetahs and leopards represent the largest free-ranging carnivores in Namibia. They concentrate in unprotected areas on privately owned farmlands where domestic and other wild animals also occur and the risk of pathogen transmission is increased. Thus, knowledge on adaptive genetic variation involved in disease resistance may be pertinent to both felid species’ conservation. The cheetah has been used as a classic example in conservation genetics textbooks due to overall low levels of genetic variation. Reduced variation at MHC genes has been associated with high susceptibility to infectious diseases in cheetahs. However, increased disease susceptibility has only been observed in captive cheetahs whereas recent studies in free-ranging Namibian cheetahs revealed a good health status. This raised the question whether the diversity at MHC I and II genes in free-ranging cheetahs is higher than previously reported. In this study, a total of 10 MHC I alleles and four MHC II alleles were observed in 149 individuals throughout Namibia. All alleles but one likely belong to functional MHC genes as their expression was confirmed. The observed alleles belong to four MHC I and three MHC II genes in the species as revealed by phylogenetic analyses. Signatures of historical positive selection acting on specific sites that interact directly with pathogen-derived proteins were detected in both MHC classes. Furthermore, a high genetic differentiation at MHC I was observed between Namibian cheetahs from east-central and north-central regions known to differ substantially in exposure to feline-specific viral pathogens. This suggests that the patterns of MHC I variation in the current population mirrors different pathogenic selective pressure imposed by viruses. Cheetahs showed low levels of MHC diversity compared with other mammalian species including felids, but this does not seem to influence the current immunocompetence of free-ranging cheetahs in Namibia and contradicts the previous conclusion that the cheetah is a paradigm species of disease susceptibility. However, it cannot be ruled out that the low MHC variation might limit a prosperous immunocompetence in the case of an emerging disease scenario because none of the remaining alleles might be able to recognize a novel pathogen. In contrast to cheetahs, leopards occur in most parts of Africa being perhaps the most abundant big cat in the continent. Leopards seem to have escaped from large-scale declines due to epizootics in the past in contrast to some free-ranging large carnivore populations in Africa that have been afflicted by epizootics. Currently, no information about the MHC sequence variation and constitution in African leopards exists. In this study, I characterized genetic variation at MHC I and MHC II genes in free-ranging leopards from Namibia. A total of six MHC I and six MHC II sequences were detected in 25 individuals from the east-central region. The maximum number of sequences observed per individual suggests that they likely correspond to at least three MHC I and three MHC II genes. Hallmarks of MHC evolution were confirmed such as historical positive selection, recombination and trans-species polymorphism. The low MHC variation detected in Namibian leopards is not conclusive and further research is required to assess the extent of MHC variation in different areas of its geographic range. Results from this thesis will contribute to better understanding the evolutionary significance of MHC and conservation implications in free-ranging felids. Translocation of wildlife is an increasingly used management tool for conservation purposes that should be conducted carefully as it may affect the ability of the translocated animals to cope with different pathogenic selective pressures. / Genetische Variabilität ist entscheidend für das langfristige Überleben von Arten, denn es ermöglicht dem Organismus sich Umweltveränderungen, wie z.B. neu aufkommende Krankheiten, schneller anzupassen. Der Haupthistocompatibilitätskomplex (MHC) ist eine Familie von Genen, der eine zentrale Rolle im Immunsystem von Wirbeltieren zukommt, da sie nach Pathogenkontakt das adaptive Immunsystem aktivieren. Zudem sind MHC Gene geeignete molekulare Marker um Anpassungsfähigkeiten aufzuzeigen. MHC Gene kodieren primär für Zelloberflächenmoleküle, die kurze Peptidfragmente erkennen und den Immunzellen präsentieren, die im Falle der Klasse I Gene intrazellulären (z.B. von Viren) oder im Falle der Klasse II Gene extrazellulären (z.B. von Bakterien, Protozoen, Arthropoden) Ursprungs sein können. In der Regel wird in natürlich vorkommenden Populationen ein hoher Grad an Polymorphismus im MHC beobachtet, was als Anpassung an das Erkennen und Präsentieren einer großen Anzahl sich schnell entwickelnder Pathogene interpretiert wird. Das Bestehen vieler MHC Varianten über große Zeiträume hinweg wird hauptsächlich durch positive Selektion bewirkt, der ein pathogengetriebener Selektionsdruck zugrunde liegt. In meiner Doktorarbeit habe ich mich mit der Variation von MHC I and MHC II in freilebenden Geparden (Acinonyx jubatus) und Leoparden (Panthera pardus) in Farmgebieten innerhalb Namibias beschäftigt. Beide Felidenarten leben sympatrisch und sind so demselben Pathogendruck ausgesetzt, sie unterscheiden sich allerdings in ihrem evolutionären und demographischen Hintergrund. Mein Hauptziel war es 1) das Ausmaß und Muster der MHC Variation auf Populationsebene beider Feliden zu untersuchen; 2) einen möglichen Zusammenhang zwischen dem Grad der MHC Variation und der Krankheitsresistenz in frei lebenden Geparden aufzudecken und 3) zu untersuchen, welche Rolle der Selektion auf die MHC Variabilität beider Arten in der Vergangenheit wie auch gegenwärtig zukommt. Geparden und Leoparden repräsentieren die größten frei lebenden Carnivoren Namibias. Beide Arten kommen hauptsächlich in Farmgebieten vor, die sich in Privatbesitz befinden, und können dort mit anderen Wild- aber auch Haustieren zusammentreffen und potentiell Krankheitserreger austauschen. Die Kenntnis über die adaptive genetische Variation, die für Krankheitsresistenzen mitverantwortlich ist, kann für den Schutz beider Felidenarten von Bedeutung sein. Geparden werden häufig in Lehrbüchern als klassische Beispiele für eine Tierart mit einer generell geringen genetischen Diversität verwendet. Neben neutralen Markern ist bei Geparden auch eine geringe Variabilität der MHC Gene beschrieben worden, die als Ursache einer hohen Anfälligkeit für infektiöse Krankheiten gesehen wird. Bisher wurde allerdings eine erhöhte Krankheitsanfälligkeit nur bei Geparden aus Gefangenschaft beschrieben, wohingegen neuste Studien an frei lebenden Geparden diesen einen guten Gesundheitsstatus attestierten. Dadurch stellt sich die Frage, ob die MHC I und II Diversität in frei lebenden Geparden nicht höher sein könnte als bisher angenommen. In dieser Arbeit konnten insgesamt 10 MHC I und vier MHC II Allele in 149 frei lebenden Geparden aus ganz Namibia nachgewiesen werden. Die Zugehörigkeit zu funktionellen MHC Genen wurde durch Expressionsanalysen bei allen Allelen, außer einem, bestätigt. Durch phylogenetische Analysen konnten die Allele vier MHC I und drei MHC II Genen zu geordnet werden. Das Wirken von positiver Selektion in der Vergangenheit konnte an spezifischen Aminosäuren des Proteins, die in direktem Kontakt zu den pathogenen Antigenen stehen, festgestellt werden. Dies traf für beide MHC Klassen zu. Des Weiteren konnte eine starke genetische Differenzierung des MHC I zwischen Geparden aus einer nord-zentralen und einer ost-zentralen Region festgestellt werden, von denen auch bekannt ist, dass sie unterschiedlichen, felidenspezifischen, viralen Pathogenen ausgesetzt sind. Das lässt vermuten, dass die unterschiedlichen Muster der MHC I Variation in der gegenwärtigen Population den unterschiedlichen pathogengetriebenen Selektionsdruck durch Viren in den beiden Regionen widerspiegelt. Verglichen mit anderen Säugetierarten, insbesondere andere Feliden, zeigen Geparden einen geringen Grad an MHC Diversität, doch das scheint die derzeitige Immunkompetenz frei lebender Geparden in Namibia nicht einzuschränken und widerspricht der bisherigen Meinung dass Geparden ein typisches Beispiel für eine krankheitsanfällige Tierart sind. Es kann allerdings nicht ausgeschlossen werden, dass bei neu auftauchenden Krankheiten die geringe MHC Variation eine erfolgreiche Immunkompetenz verhindert, da möglicherweise keines der gegenwärtigen Allele die Fähigkeit besitzt neue Pathogene zu erkennen. Im Gegensatz zu Geparden kommen Leoparden in allen Teilen Afrikas vor und sind wahrscheinlich die am weitverbreiteste Großkatze des afrikanischen Kontinents. Es scheint, dass Leoparden, im Gegensatz zu anderen afrikanischen Großkatzen, einer ausgedehnten Dezimierung durch Tierseuchen in der Vergangenheit, der einige Populationen afrikanischer Großkatzen ausgesetzt waren, entkommen sind. Bisher fehlten Information über die MHC Variabilität in afrikanischen Leoparden. In dieser Studie konnte ich die genetische Variation der MHC I und MHC II Gene frei lebender namibischer Leoparden charakterisieren. In 25 Tieren aus einer Population der ost-zentralen Region konnten sechs MHC I sowie sechs MHC II Sequenzen nachgewiesen werden. Aus der maximalen Anzahl Allele pro Tier kann auf drei MHC I und auf drei MHC II Gene geschlossen werden. Außerdem konnten die typischen Kennzeichen einer variationserhaltenden MHC Evolution betätigt werden, wie positive Selektion in der Vergangenheit, Rekombination und über Artgrenzen hinaus bestehender Polymorphismus. Der geringe Grad an MHC Variation in namibischen Leoparden ist jedoch noch nicht endgültig und weitere Untersuchungen in unterschiedlichen Regionen aus der gesamten geographischen Verbreitung des Leoparden sind notwendig um die MHC Variation der Leoparden in Gänze einschätzen zu können. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit werden zu einem besseren Verständnis des evolutionären Stellenwerts des MHC und in Folge zu einem besseren Schutz von frei lebenden Feliden beitragen. Die Umsiedelung von Wildtieren ist ein zunehmend angewendetes Hilfsmittel im Natur- und Artenschutz, welches jedoch mit Sorgfalt eingesetzt werden sollte, da die umgesiedelten Tiere möglicherweise einem anderen pathogenen Selektionsdruck ausgesetzt sind, dem sie nichts entgegenzusetzen haben.

Cheetah are difficult to census and as a result there is only a limited amount of information regarding the status of cheetah populations across South Africa making it difficult to identify and address potential threats and to plan effective conservation strategies. The aim of this study was to determine if scatology could be used as a non-invasive method for genetic analysis of cheetah in South Africa. Corresponding blood and faecal samples were collected from cheetah at the De Wildt Cheetah Centre. The faecal samples were aged and then collected and stored in ethanol after four days and after two weeks. Faecal samples of suspected wild cheetah were also collected in the Thabazimbi area in the Limpopo Province. DNA was than isolated from all the blood and faecal samples. A species-specific primer set was developed in the mitochondrial control region to reliably identify cheetah faecal samples. The PCR amplification success of the species-specific marker was high, all fresh faecal samples had a positive result (100%), four-day-old samples were 83% positive and two-week-old samples were 94% positive. The species-specific primer was found to be effective in accurate cheetah identification and had greater amplification success on fresh samples. Twelve microsatellite markers were used to profile the blood and faecal samples. Multiple PCRs were performed per faecal sample per marker to ensure that the genotype obtained was correct. Amplification success of the 12 microsatellites was 59% for fresh samples, 20% for four-day-old samples and 2.4% for two-week-old samples. Difficulties associated with the technique included poor DNA quality and quantity and genotyping errors, resulting in allelic dropout and false alleles. Genotyping errors were determined by comparing the genotype of the faeces with that of the matching blood sample. Overall, allelic dropout experienced was 16% and 7% for false alleles. These values correspond to the results of similar studies. Samples of suspected wild cheetah were collected in the Thabazimbi area and were analysed. The alleles obtained were similar to those from the pilot study. Data of 45 De Wildt cheetah samples obtained from the NZG were analysed and compared with the results of the pilot study, as expected, all alleles in the De Wildt population occurred in the NZG samples. The alleles found in this study and in the NZG samples can be used as the standard when using molecular scatology techniques. The results of this study provide valuable guidelines for future studies of cheetah using the non-invasive technique of scatology. The genotypic information from the 12 microsatellites can now be used as a standard when analyzing samples of cheetah origin. Using this information, additional markers can now be tested for improved amplification success and decreased rates of allelic dropout and occurrences of false alleles. The results prove the feasibility of using cheetah faeces as a potential source of DNA for population studies of cheetah in South Africa in addition to the methods currently employed. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Animal and Wildlife Sciences / unrestricted

The objectives of this study were(1) to analyse a data-set on cheetah home range size, habitat utilisation, prey selection and hunting behaviour in the Kruger National Park (KNP), and (2) conduct a comparative study on the above aspects of cheetah ecology across a variety of African savanna ecosystems. Cheetah home range sizes in the KNP for territorial male cheetahs were 173 km2, 438 km2 for a nomadic male cheetah coalition, and 193 km2 and 179 km2 for two female cheetahs. Cheetahs preferred open savanna habitat, although females used areas with thicker bush such as drainage lines) more than males, probably because this is the preferred habitat of their main prey. Analysis showed that while females were closely associated with drainage lines, males were closely associated with roads. A male cheetah coalition preferred scent marking along roads rather than in the bush. Impala occurred most frequently in the cheetahs’ diet, although males took larger prey than females. Cheetahs hunted and killed more frequently in open savanna, even though impala densities were higher in adjacent habitats. Mean chase distance for successful hunts was 18l9 m and unsuccessful hunts was 96 m. Cheetah hunting success was 20.7%, kleptoparasitism was 11.8%, mean kill retention time was 165 min, kill rated averaged 1 kill per 4.61 days, and consumption rate of a three-male cheetah coalition was 1,4 kg meat/cheetah/day. Across African savanna ecosystems, female cheetah home range size was determined by the dispersion patterns and biomass of medium-sized prey. Female home range size was larger in areas with migratory (833 km2) than sedentary prey (105 km2) and increase as prey biomass decreased in areas with sedentary prey only. Conversely, male cheetah territory size was smaller in areas with migratory (37 km2) than sedentary prey (108 km2). Although it was predicted that male cheetah territory size would be determined by female cheetah density, no relationship was found here. Across a range of African savannas, cheetahs showed distinct preferences for open habitats that provided some woody cover. Adults (40%) and juveniles (20%) of medium-sized prey made up the largest proportion in the cheetahs’ diet. There were, however, significant variations in the size and age groups of prey taken by cheetahs in different areas. Areas with the least amount of cover appeared to have the longest mean chase distance, and the greatest percentage hunting success and incidents of kleptoparasitism (%). A population viability analysis, using VORTEX, found that cheetah population viability was greater in a woodland savanna than a grassland savanna, particularly at small population sizes. While the grassland savanna population was most affected by changes in juvenile mortality the woodland savanna population with exceptionally high cub mortality may be a sink for cheetahs while the woodland population with lower cub mortality and predicted high dispersal rates may be a source. Maximum annual litter size and female mortality rates had large impacts on population persistence. / Dissertation (MSc (Zoology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Zoology and Entomology / unrestricted