Abstract

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), one of the wide-ranging scarce carnivores, was widespread some decades back in Ethiopia's wild lands. However, its natural habitats are currently fragmented and shrinking due to anthropogenic factors. Regardless of this general overview, there appears to be a lack of up-to-date information which reveals the past and existing status of cheetahs in Ethiopia since they are relatively understudied compared to other large carnivores. Available published and unpublished reports, manuscripts, and policy-focused documents on the target species were reviewed to explore and document the status of the cheetah in Ethiopia. Based on our review, we concluded that the cheetah population size is extremely small (below 500) while large ranges (65% of projected habitat area) have been identified through field assessments and sightings undertaken since 2015. Besides, the incidence and extent of its threats are increasing and changing over time. It is therefore recommended that there is a need to conduct a countrywide assessment to examine the status of the existing populations and review the developed national action plan based on up-to-date information on the potential threats to the populations of the cheetah.

Key words: Trends, distribution, range, estimates, density, abundance, threats, conservation.