Subspecies Distribution Image

This is the nominate cheetah subspecies.[5]

It occurs in Southern and East

Southern African
cheetah (A. j.
jubatus) (Schreber,
1775), syn. A. j.
raineyi[11] Heller, 1913
African countries
including Namibia, Botswana, South
Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique,
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It is
regionally extinct in Democratic Republic
of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.[1] In
2007, the Southern African population was
roughly estimated at less than 5,000 to
maximum 6,500 adult individuals.[23][24] In
2010, it was reported to persist in Iona
National Park in southwestern Angola.[25] It
was introduced in the Hlane Royal
National Park of Swaziland and
reintroduced in Malawi's Liwonde National
Park.[26][27] Since 1999, the population
suffered a massive decline in
Zimbabwe.[28][29] as well as in Mozambique
following the civil wars during 1980s and
1990s.[1]

It is thought to have been separated from

the Asiatic cheetah nearly 0.32–0.67 million
years ago.[30]

This subspecies is confined to Iran, and is

thus the only surviving cheetah population
in Asia. It has been classified as Critically
Endangered.[31] In 2007, the total
Asiatic cheetah (A. j.
population was estimated at 60 to 100
venaticus) Griffith, 1821
individuals including juveniles.[32] In 2017,
fewer than 50 individuals were thought to
be remaining in three subpopulations that
are scattered over
 140,000 km2 (54,000 sq mi) in Iran’s central
plateau.[33]

It used to occur from the Arabian

Peninsula and to Turkey, Central Asia,
Afghanistan and Pakistan to India.[14]

This subspecies occurs in South

Northeast African Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea.[1] It is closely
cheetah (A. j. related to A. j. jubatus. Results of a
soemmeringii) Fitzinger, phylogeographic analysis indicate that the
1855 two subspecies diverged between 16,000
and 72,000 years ago.[30]

This subspecies occurs in Northwestern

Africa including Algeria, Benin, Burkina
Faso and Niger. Small populations are
known to exist in the Ahaggar and Tassili
N'Ajjer National Parks.[34] In 2003, a
population of 20 to 40 individuals was
estimated to survive in Ahaggar National
Park.[35] In Niger, cheetahs have been
recorded in the Aïr
Northwest African Mountains, Ténéré, Termit
cheetah (A. j. Massif, Talak and Azaouak valley. In 1993,
hecki) Hilzheimer, 1913 a population of 50 individuals were
estimated in Ténéré. In Benin, the cheetah
occurs in Pendjari National Park and W
National Park. Its status is obscure in
Burkina Faso, where individuals may be
confined to the southeastern region. With
the total population estimated at less than
250 mature individuals, it is listed
as Critically Endangered.[36]