Status of the cheetah Acinonyx jubatus in Kenya: a field-interview assessment Original Research Article

A field-interview survey of the distribution and abundance of the cheetah Acinonyx jubatus was conducted in Kenya between May and September 1989, and June and August 1990. Two hundred and twenty respondents ranging from wildlife conservationists to traditional pastoralists gave precise descriptions of cheetah observations, including dates and locations of sightings, and number, age class, and sex of the cheetahs observed. The 369 detailed sightings collected consisted of 249 observations of all-adult groups and 120 observations of family groups. The average number of adults in all-adult sightings was 1·8 + SE 0·07, and the average litter size in family groups was 2·6 + SE 0·10. Density estimates across the country ranged from 0·009 to 0·102 cheetah km−2, and were generally higher than elsewhere in Africa. A total number of 793 cheetahs was estimated in Kenya protected areas, and Masailand and the dry northern Districts appear to offer the best prospects for cheetah conservation in Kenya based on relative prey availability. The proportion of family groups among all sightings was twice as high in protected areas as on rangelands, and protected areas also held larger groups of males. The results do not support the thesis that cheetahs fare better on rangelands than in protected areas. Comparison with earlier surveys in Kenya showed remarkable stability in cheetah distribution and social structure over time. No firm conclusion could be drawn on trends in cheetah numbers, although scattered evidence supported a scenario of stability rather than decline in the last decades. Despite their limitations, interview based surveys can produce valuable results for monitoring elusive high-profile carnivores.