In my PhD research, which is ongoing, I turned to the emerging field of metabolomics - the scientific study of the set of small molecules present within an organism, cell, or tissue - to evaluate various small molecules in the serum and urine of cheetahs. I was looking for any differences in the molecule profiles of samples from captive versus wild cheetahs.
I also wanted to see if these profiles were different to those of humans and other species. We measured the concentrations of hundreds of amino acids, fatty acids, acylcarnitines, sugars and other products of metabolism.
In the first part of the study, we compared the fatty acid profiles of captive cheetahs to those of wild cheetahs. Abnormal fatty acids levels have been linked to a variety of disease processes in humans and other animals. We found very low levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the blood samples of wild cheetahs compared to those from cheetahs in captivity. Wild cheetahs typically hunt and consume small antelope.
These species have a high saturated and low polyunsaturated fatty acid content in their tissues. Captive cheetahs, on the other hand, tend to be fed meat from animals, like horses, donkeys and chickens, which have high polyunsaturated fatty acid content. The abdominal organs and fat stores consumed by wild cheetahs are high in saturated fats and low in polyunsaturated fatty acids when compared to the fats stored in and around the muscle tissues typically fed to captive animals.
Wild cheetahs eat less often than those in captivity. During periods of fasting, the body uses its stored polyunsaturated fatty acids for energy, thus leading to lower levels.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are very sensitive to oxidative damage when compared to the more stable saturated fatty acids. I suspect that cheetahs may not have effective antioxidant capabilities to cope with higher levels of damaged polyunsaturated fatty acids and this may contribute to their ill health in captivity. In the second part of the study , we analysed the urine organic acids in the urine of captive cheetahs.
Urine organic acids are the end-products of the breakdown of amino acids, fatty acids and sugars. We found that the cheetahs were excreting a numbers of particular compounds known as phenolic acids. Cubs live with their mothers for about 18 months but often become prey to lions, leopards, and hyenas. Scientists found that lions and hyenas kill up to 70 percent of cheetah cubs. To protect her cubs, a mother moves them frequently. Littermates stay together for about six to eight more months, sharing a territory.
Then the females head off to live on their own, while the males stay together in small groups until they are mature. Once widespread throughout Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and into central India, cheetahs have disappeared from huge areas of their historic range.
Cheetahs hunt by day, which means tourists taking safari rides into cheetah habitat can affect their daily routine. Their habitat is open savanna, the most likely areas to be occupied by humans.
There are around 7, cheetahs left in their native habitats, down from as many as , just years ago. Ranchers sometimes shoot them because the cats feed on livestock. Wildlife parks in Africa help protect some of the cheetahs as their habitat shrinks. Zoos will play an important role in securing a future for cheetahs. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has been working to solve the unique problems that cheetahs have breeding in managed care.
It has one of the most successful cheetah breeding programs in the world, with cheetahs born here to date, and is considered a top organization for successful cheetah management. Help for cheetahs. The chipped thornbush is turned into blocks and sold as fuel. The Fund also introduced a very successful guard dog program in Namibia, using Anatolian shepherds to protect livestock.
These working dogs are fiercely protective of the livestock in their charge, and the cheetahs are not about to argue. Providing the dogs free of charge to households and educating people about the value of native wildlife has helped cheetah populations recover in Namibia. Laurie Marker, Ph. You can join conservation organizations that protect big cats and African habitat, including the Cheetah Conservation Fund and Africats. You can encourage people not to wear fur coats.
While it can be hard to help cheetahs directly, when you make your voice heard on environmental issues, you can help the Earth as a whole. Feline herpesvirus can cause respiratory disease and skin ulcers in cheetahs. To prevent this, our conservation scientists are studying the risk factors that cause this infection in cheetahs and creating a database of infected individuals, including management and wildlife care practices from zoos across North America.
We can then recommend changes in the care of cheetahs to reduce the virus risk for these cats. By supporting San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, you are our ally in saving and protecting wildlife worldwide. Main menu. Search form Search. It is suggested that after a number years in captivity, a species may lose its unique biological and behavioural characteristics, making the conservation efforts of captive breeding far less worthy. Cheetahs in captivity are extremely sensitive to stress and often display abnormal behaviour because their hunting and ranging instincts are denied.
The high prevalence of disease in captive populations is now thought to be caused by chronic stress and an unnatural diet that may even cause depression. The wild cheetah population suffers from low genetic diversity, that easily leads to inbreeding in captivity. Captive breeding can even pose a potential threat to the survival of the wild population, as wild cheetahs are captured for their purer genes, to prevent inbreeding issues.
There is a real potential for canned hunting of captive bred cheetahs and the already large and growing captive population could easily provide a supply for this internationally condemned practice. The Threatened or Protected Species Regulations do not allow canned hunting of large predators with the exception of lions.
While they do not breed as prolifically as lions, one has to ask: where do all the cubs go to? The majority are bred in captivity and hand-reared to be groomed as well-behaved ambassadors.
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