The Effects of Humans on animal behaviour

[Sanju]

Why is cheetah docile and why it not caused any human fatalities in history?

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Cheetahs made a sudden appearance in the fossil records around the globe at almost the same time, about 3.5 to 4 million years ago in the Pliocene, so it is difficult to determine exactly where they first arose. It appears that the cheetah split from other large cats several million years ago in a lineage that includes the puma and jaguarundi, a small South American cat. Cheetahs, pumas and jaguarundis are closely related with anatomical similarities, corroborated by recent molecular analysis. In prehistoric times, the cheetah's distribution was more extensive; several species of cheetah-like cats were widely distributed throughout Africa, Asia, Europe and North America up to only 10,000 years ago. The opening up of habitat during the Pliocene favoured a cursorial (running) lifestyle, which cheetahs have exploited to the maximum. The oldest known fossil records of the modern cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus are from East Africa about 3.5 million years ago, with slightly later records in southern Africa and Asia. A very large cheetah, Acinonyx pardinesis, lived in Europe during the Pliocene and Pleistocene, from about 3.2 million to 500,000 years ago. Fossils that have been uncovered suggest that cheetahs originated from North America and migrated to the Old World at around 5.5 million years ago. These fossils are largely similar to the modern cheetah’s skeleton, which means that prehistoric cheetahs probably possessed the very same anatomy required to survive in their environments, albeit with some differences.

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A. pardinensis was the size of a small modern-day lion and weighed up to 105 kg, but had the same limb proportions as a modern-day cheetah. Because of its larger mass, A. pardinesis wasn't as fast as today's cheetah, but was still able to swiftly pursue its prey across the grassy steppes of Eurasia. At the same time as the European cheetah, a genus of sprinting cheetah-like cats called Miracinonyx arose in North America. The earliest species Miracinonyx inexpectatus, weighing up to 95 kg, was only slightly smaller than the European A. pardinensis, while the later form Miracinonyx trumani was smaller and resembled the modern cheetah, A. jubatus. M. Trumani survived up to 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. Both American cheetah-like species exhibited the same small, domed skull and slim, elongated bones of the existing species today, but differed in a number of skeletal features, including retention of fully retractile claws. M. expectatus had intermediate body proportions between a puma and a cheetah, but was more versatile, running faster than a puma and better equipped for climbing than a cheetah.
A fossilized skull of a new species of primitive cheetah, Acinonyx kurteni, was recently found in China.
The skull, between 2.16 and 2.55 million years old, is about the same size as living cheetahs but has a very wide braincase, enlarged frontal sinuses and primitive teeth. The discovery of this skull may cast doubt on the theory that cheetahs evolved in North America and spread into Eurasia and Africa. On the other hand, it is possible that the modern cheetah, A. jubatus, first evolved in Africa from an earlier species on the cheetah-puma lineage that had arisen elsewhere and colonised Africa, spreading into Eurasia.
For example: during the early and middle Pleistocene, roaming the wide open plains of Europe and China was a species called the giant cheetah (see above), so named because it had the size of a lion (around 2 meters long). But just like its modern-day counterpart, this feline was built for speed despite its size, capable of outrunning its prey (ibex and elks, these two being larger than today’s gazelles) at around 112 km/h or more, due to its longer legs and back.

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Why did cheetahs migrate from North America towards Africa and Asia, you might ask? Genome studies suggest that the spotted cats’ populations may have experienced a sharp decline around 100,000 years ago, either due to widespread diseases or a heavy depletion of prey species at around the end of the Ice Age, an event that lowered genetic variability. Other cheetah species could have been evolving elsewhere in the world (North America and Eurasia) at the same time, possibly from the same distant ancestor of the African (modern) cheetah. There are still large gaps of knowledge of cheetah evolution because few fossils have been found. The cheetah appears to have suffered a series of severe population reductions or "bottlenecks" in its history, with the most significant probably occurring during the late Pleistocene, about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Drastic changes in the earth's climate resulted in a major extinction of vertebrates worldwide (75% of all mammals in North America and Europe died). Over a few thousand years, all the cheetahs in North America and Europe, and most of those in Asia and Africa died. Cheetahs may have migrated to more suitable environments as ice covered a large part of the northern hemisphere and sea levels fell. The cheetah survived the mass extinction of the Pleistocene Epoch, but its numbers were greatly reduced. Brothers were left to reproduce with sisters and parents with siblings, which led to inbreeding. Today's population are direct descendants of the survivors, the only cheetah species that survived. The cheetah was first described scientifically by J.C.D. von Schreber in 1775 as Felis jubata from a specimen collected at the Cape of Good Hope.

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This is proof that the cheetah has perfectly evolved to become the world’s fastest land animal, and to overcome all obstacles with its tremendous speed. Unfortunately, nowadays, its future is uncertain: indeed, even its incredible speed is not enough to escape all the man-made catastrophes (trophy hunting, habitat loss, poaching, conflicts with farmers, global warming…). Therefore, it’s only up to us humans to help cheetah populations replenish again. Eventually, cheetahs left the Americas towards their current ranges in Africa and Asia, where they thrived, roamed by the millions, and evolved many adaptations that enhanced their sprinting abilities (the elongated spine, the non-retractile claws, the long tail used for balance…).

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So, it doesn't belong to Pantherinae/roaring cats. It belong to medium sized cat group but informally called as big cat in which total of 9 exists. The modern cheetah evolved for speed hunting medium sized swift game and open habitats with a sleek aerodynamic body. It is not much robust like its pumoid (puma-like) ancestors like Giant cheetah. It doesn't involve in fighting with either predators and despite its success rate of 30-50% it sometimes loses its kills to lion, hyenas and even black backed vultures group. It ridiculously avoids, inter-specific conflicts even other opponent is smaller and inferior in strength. This makes it very docile.

-------> watch the documentary.
This is cheetah man, he daily goes to hunt with wild and free ranging african cheetahs (not raised by him). The coalition is of 5 male cheetahs with different hierarchies and not from same parents ie.., they are not brothers. They hunt on their own. This guy daily goes to them and earn their trust that he is not a threat to them by staying with them for some time even though they all try to attack him. After, earning their trust, they accept him in their coalition and make him as their pack member similar like wolves. This a daily scenario and circle of going to them>accepting their trust>becoming a member>hunting with them.
A similar situation happened with this camera man and wildlife film maker.

In captivity,

This docile, less aggressive behavior and fear of fighting with other species which lead to serious injuries to its light built body and impair its hunting skills is like a death sentence to them. This behavior combined with its ridiculous cuteness making perople around the world to go chaos, crazy to get a cheetah ass a pet and leading to illegal international cheetah or wildlife trade to get them as pets. A severe blow to cheetah conservation.
In wild:

This Masai tribe men steals kills from cheetahs and lions for livelihood. You can see how cheetah avoids to fight.

Evan lions behave this way before people.

Similar picture even in our Gir  . Reply