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Northwest African Cheetah

the endangered Northwest African cheetah

The Northwest African cheetah, also called the Saharan cheetah, can be found in the Sahara, a large desert in North Africa, and the Sahel, a savanna (woodland and grassland) below the Sahara desert.

Scientific Name:  Acinonyx jubatus hecki

Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

The Northwest African cheetah is a critically endangered wild cat living in fragmented populations. It is a little smaller than other cheetahs and has shorter, almost white fur with black spots.  Not only are there very few spots on the face, they sometimes lack the tear stripes running down the face that other cheetahs have.

According to data from 2012, less than 500 cheetahs are living in the Central African Republic, Chad, Algeria, Maili, and national parks and protected areas around Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger in West Africa.

Northwest African cheetahs are active from sunset to sunrise to avoid the heat and prey on antelopes and hares.

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