Feeding Biology of Cheetah on Kwandwe

A group of re-introduced cheetah on Kwandwe Private Game Reserve was studied to establish their feeding biology in Valley Bushveld. Direct observations, scat analysis and continuous observations were used to avoid bias towards large sized prey found when only using direct observations. The cheetah’s main prey was medium sized ungulates, although the 3 male cheetah coalition killed larger prey than females and females with cubs. The cheetah killed 15 species and 4 of the 5 most abundant species (kudu, springbuck, grey duiker and bushbuck) were hunted according to their abundance on the reserve, while impala the 5th most important prey species, was avoided by the cheetah. The daily food intake per cheetah per day was calculated to range from 5.6kg/cheetah/day for the coalition to 8.4kg/cheetah/day for a solitary female. The observations at Kwandwe illustrate that cheetah are adaptable and efficient hunters in Valley Bushveld and are not necessarily dependent on gazelle or impala-sized prey.

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Posted: Mammals by Wildwatch Editor, Date: 5 June 2007