Cheetah - Acinonyx jubatus

The cheetah is one of Botswana's conserved mammals. Despite protection, numbers are on the decline as they lose their range to man. Infrequently seen in former strongholds such as Nxai Pan and Makgadikgadi due to cattle encroachment, as well as the reduction in prey species following the droughts of the eighties. Easily tamed, and capable of running 96 to 120 km/h, cheetahs are the world’s fastest land animal. The ancient Sumerians, the Egyptian pharaohs and even William the Conqueror trained cheetahs to help them on hunting expeditions.
Once plentiful across most of Africa, Asia Minor, and India, the cheetah has been hunted to extinction in India, and the only significant populations left are in the game reserves of eastern and southwestern Africa.
In the wild, their most important prey are medium-sized hoofed animals such as gazelles, impala, and waterbuck. Having eaten their fill, cheetahs rarely return to the kill and will eat carrion only under dire circumstances.

Lodges and Camps in Botswana: Audi Camp - Camp Moremi -Camp Okuti - Camp Okavango - Chief's Camp - Chitabe Camp - Chobe Game Lodge - Chobe Marina Lodge - Crocodile Camp - Deception Valley Lodge - Delta Safari Camp - Duba Plains Camp - Duma Tau Lodge - Elephant Camp Victoria Falls - Footsteps Camp - Gunn's Camp - Grassland Safari Lodge - Jacana Camp - Kings Pool - Kubu Safari Lodge - Kwara Camp Okavango Delta - Leroo-la-Tau - Linyanti Camp - Little Mombo Camp - Mariolina's Victoria Falls - Mapula Lodge - Mombo Safari Camp - Motsentsela Tree Lodge - Nxabega Okavango Safari Camp - Pom Pom Camp - Sandibe Safari Lodge - Santawani - Savute Safari Lodge - Savuti Camp - Semetsi Camp - Xakanaxa Camp - Xigera Camp - Xugana Lodge

Botswana Destinations: Chief's Island - Chobe National Park - Gemsbok National Park - Kalahari - Khwai - Linyanti - Makgadikgadi Pans - Maun - Moremi Game Reserve - Nogatsaa/Tchinga - Nxai Pan - Okavango Delta - Savute - Tsodilo hills - Tuli Block - Xakanaxa

Zimbabwe Destinations: Victoria Falls

Birds of Botswana: Crowned Plover - Blue Waxbill - Cormorant - Egyptian Goose - Fish Eagle - Grey Lourie - Kingfisher - Kori Bustard - Lilacbreasted Roller - Ostrich - Saddlebilled Stork - Secretary Bird

Mammals of Botswana: African Wild Dog - African Elephant - Baboon - Bat-Eared-Fox - Brown Hyena - Buffalo - Bushpig - Cheetah - Eland - Genet - Giraffe - Hartebeest - Hippo - Impala - Jackal - Kudu - Leopard - Lion - Oryx - Puku - Red Lechwe - Roan Antelope - Sable Antelope - Sitatunga - Slender Mongoose - Spotted Hyena - Springbok - Squirrel - Surikate - Tsessebe - Warthog - Waterbuck - Wildebeest - Zebra

Reptiles of Botswana: African Rock Python - African Crocodile - Black Mamba - Cape Cobra - Chameleon - Gecko - Leopard Tortoise - Monitor Lizard - Mozambican Cobra - Puff Adder