NORTHEAST AFRICAN CHEETAH (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: A group of experts have appealed to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to reclassify the status of the Northeast African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii), found in the Horn of Africa, to ‘endangered’ from ‘vulnerable’.

Northeast African Cheetah

• Habitat: Around 6,500-7,000 African cheetahs present in the wild.
• Characteristics: An adult male cheetah's total size can measure from 168 to 213 cm and 162 to 200 cm for females.
• Distribution: The Northeast African cheetah is regionally extinct in Eritrea, Djibouti, and northern Somalia.
• Conservation Status
• IUCN Status - Vulnerable
• CITES Status - Appendix-I of the List.
• Threats: By poaching, illegal wildlife trade, hunting, habitat loss, and lack of prey.

Horn of Africa

• About: It is the easternmost extension of African land.
• Also known as: Somali Peninsula
• Located: On the easternmost part of the African mainland.
• It is the fourth largest peninsula in the world.
• Composition: of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Djibouti.