Cheetah numbers have plummeted in the last 50 years due to loss of habitat, high cub mortality from predators, and conflicts with humans. Cheetahs are also imperiled by a "genetic bottleneck" or lack of genetic variety, which makes the species particularly vulnerable to disease and reproductive problems.
The most primitive of all cats, evolving some 18 million years ago, the cheetah is a tall, slim, long-legged cat, built along the lines of the greyhound. Its claws are only semi-retractable, and it has a distinctly dog-like muzzle.
1 vulnerable, 1 endangered sub-species.