The cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus (Schreber, 1776) in Egypt (Felidae, Acinonychinae)

Field survey of known and potential cheetah habitats in the northern sector of the Egyptian Western Desert was carried out to collect data on the pres ent distribution and status of that animal in Egypt. Data were also gathere d on the ecological characteristics of present cheetah habitats and the sta tus of known and potential cheetah prey species in the area. Impacts of hum an activities on the cheetah, and on its preys and habitats were also inves tigated. The results show that the cheetah has disappeared from most of its former r ange in the northern part of the Egyptian Western Desert. Its entire popula tion has been reduced to what appears to be few individuals confined to a h ighly inaccessible area in the northern and western parts of the Qattara De pression. These individuals appear to be essentially nomadic, roaming over a vast area of the desert in search of prey. Habitats presently occupied by the cheetah in Egypt include uninhabited oas is depressions within the Qattara Depression. Large groves of Acacia raddia na west and southwest of these habitats appear to be regularly visited by c heetahs. The survey also showed that gazelles, which constitute an importan t cheetah prey item, have been largely exterminated throughout the study ar ea as a result of uncontrolled illegal hunting, with the exception of a sma ll population which still survives in the western part of the Qattara Depre ssion. Cape hare and several rodent species are numerous throughout present cheetah habitats, and may constitute the main cheetah prey in that area. We compare morphological characters of cheetahs of the Egyptian Western Des ert to those of cheetahs from different parts of the world range of A. juba tus. Stringent conservation measures are needed to save this rare and possi bly unique population of the cheetah.