FEMKE BROEKHUIS
A new study has criticised current estimates of the number of wild cheetah as being merely ‘guesswork’, and argues that the true figure is far lower than previously thought. Using a new method of assessment, researchers from the Kenya Wildlife Trust’s Mara Cheetah Project, the University of Oxford and the Indian Statistical Institute have calculated that in the Masai Mara the approximate total is 30 animals — almost half the original claim. Scientists hope that with this more accurate picture they will be able to better identify threats to the species and potential conservation initiatives.
By Charlotte Coulson