Asiatic cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus venaticus

Mammalia · Carnivora · Felidae

Fig. 1. Asiatic cheetah

Fig. 2. Range

Length or height	About 0.7-0.85 m at the shoulder
Weight	About 35-55 kg
Food	Gazelles, wild sheep, hares
Lifespan	About 10-12 years (est.)
Society	Solitary or small groups
Habitat	desert, grassland
Range	Asia
Wild or tame	Wild

Survives only in Iran's central deserts. Iranian officials and conservationists put the wild population at roughly a dozen to about twenty (est.). Cheetahs reintroduced to India since 2022 come from Africa, not this subspecies.

Observe: Compare its paler, shorter coat with an African cheetah.

Modern data

Status today

CRCritically endangered status to verify

Conservation	Critically endangered (subspecies).
Keeper's note	Daily checks of appetite, movement and behavior; enrichment that changes from day to day.
Kingdom · phylum	Animalia · Chordata
Genus	Acinonyx

Check the record: IUCN Red List · GBIF

See it elsewhere in the museum

For classes

Lessons: The Mammal Hall: Predict the dietPreviewHeredity and Evolution: Darwin and WallacePreviewThe Mammal Hall: Where the rule breaksPreview

Drawer: Zoo: Asian forest

Quiz: Asian forest quiz · 5 questions

369ZWN

Same order: Carnivora

Asiatic cheetah

Status today

See it elsewhere in the museum

Same order: Carnivora

Red panda

African wild dog

Arctic fox

Dhole