The cheetah is one of the most well-known cats in the world due to its remarkable speed. The fastest recorded speed for a cheetah running is 114 kilometres per hour (71 miles per hour), and they regularly achieve speeds of 80 to 100 kilometres per hour when chasing prey. Africa is home to the vast majority of the world’s remaining wild cheetah population.
Cheetahs are pale yellow on the top and have a white underbelly, and their bodies are covered almost totally in little black dots. Black lines, like a worn path of inky tears, define their faces, running from the inside of each eye to the outside of each mouth.
The average length of a cheetah is 1.2 metres (4 feet), and its long, lean tail measures 65 to 85 centimetres (2 to 3 feet) in length and typically ends in a white tuft. In terms of height, they average roughly 75 cm. Males are typically larger than females, averaging 34–54 kg (75–119 lb) in weight.
The dry, open landscape and grasslands are where cheetahs are most commonly spotted, but they also live in locations with heavier flora and rocky upland terrain. Mothers and their young or coalitions of two or three males, generally brothers, are the most common types of groups.
Only during mating season can adult men and females interact. Male coalitions are permanent social groups that hunt and occupy territory that may extend into female territories. Typically, female territories are substantially larger than those of male coalitions.
After a three-month pregnancy, the female lioness gives birth to anywhere from two to eight cubs in a secret location concealed in the shelter of long grass or dense foliage. Newborn cubs weigh between 250 and 300 grammes (slightly more than half a pound).
Their dark fur, which includes a thick yellowish-gray mane along the back, likely aids in camouflage and protects them from extremes of heat and cold in their first few months of life. In the wild, other predators are a major source of death for young cubs, with mortality rates reaching as high as 90%.
This lightning-fast animal requires a lot of open territory and a plentiful supply of small ungulates. As humans move into wilderness areas, local sheep and goat herders may get uneasy about the presence of dangerous animals in their midst.
However, cheetahs do very well on game farms and hunting concessions, where they have protection from poachers and an abundance of antelopes, and CITES has allotted a small quota for cheetah hunting in Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.
Before a hunt may begin, the trophy hunter, hunter guide, and operator must all read and sign the trophy hunting permission.
The guide must have the permit with them at all times during the hunt. The hunt can’t commence until the operator has notified the Ministry seven days beforehand.
The permit is provided only to the trophy hunter, has a limited duration, and cannot be transferred to another party. These are followed by a comprehensive list of rules that specify when and where you can hunt African cheetahs, as well as other details about the species itself.
During the trophy hunting season in South Africa (which runs from February 1 to November 30), there is no “ideal” time to go on a cheetah hunt. That said, the hunter will have to travel a lot of land in search of cheetah, so that the best time to go is at the end of the dry season, when the weather is still pleasant and game congregates around waterholes.
Cheetahs are notoriously difficult to catch because they are so fast and cunning, despite the fact that they are diurnal (more active in the morning and evening). They won’t consume prey that wasn’t killed by them, so baiting is only useful if the hunters manage to distract a cheetah while it’s eating its victim.
As the predator is likely to return to the area, it is prudent to set up a blind immediately and wait for its return. However, spot-and-stalk hunting is by far the most prevalent tactic used by cheetahs.
If a hunter is looking for a cheetah or fresh cheetah tracks, he or she will likely have to cover a lot of ground. Since cheetahs are both predators and prey for larger cats, they must remain vigilant at all times.
Any rifle in the .270 to .300 calibre range with a quickly expanding bullet of 150 grains or larger would suffice for hunting African cheetahs. Your target is the area behind the foreleg, roughly halfway down the body. You should target the African cheetah on the opposite shoulder if it is slanted.
Hunt24 has an expert team of trackers and Professional Hunters who will take you on a closely guided safari to gain your exquisite cheetah trophy. We provide all the required paperwork and ensure that all our cheetah hunts are conducted in line with conservation requirements.
