How does habitat loss affect cheetahs?

Habitat loss is a significant threat to the survival of cheetahs, contributing to their decline across their historical range. As human activities expand, the conversion and degradation of the dry, open grasslands and other terrains that cheetahs rely on for hunting and breeding restrict their ability to thrive.12

This loss of territory forces cheetahs into smaller, more isolated pockets, which increases their vulnerability to other pressures. Outside of protected reserves, habitat loss is often compounded by human-wildlife conflict, including indiscriminate trapping and shooting by those seeking to protect livestock. Furthermore, as their natural environment shrinks, cheetahs face heightened competition for resources from larger predators like lions and hyenas, further endangering their populations. The cumulative impact of these factors has led to the species being extirpated from much of its former range, leaving them nearly extinct in Asia and facing ongoing threats even within protected areas in Africa.12