The story of how International Cheetah Day was born is worthy of a movie adaptation. It all started in 1977 when American Zoologist, Dr. Laurie Marker took Khayam, a cheetah she raised from a cub at Wildlife Safari in Oregon, to Namibia. It was part of an experiment to determine whether captive cheetahs could be taught to hunt and live in the wild on their own again.
The experiment was a success, and she and Khayam returned home to the U.S. But during her stay in Namibia, Dr. Marker noted that livestock owners threatened the cheetah population in the wild. They were eliminating cheetahs vigorously because they were becoming a threat to their livestock.
Determined to help resolve the rift between Namibian farmers and cheetahs, Dr. Marker vowed to preserve the wild cheetahs and founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund in 1991. She negotiated with the locals and educated them about wildlife preservation. In honor of his memory, Dr. Marker chose Khayam’s birthday to promote cheetah conservation. Since 2010, the world has been celebrating International Cheetah Day on December 4 to raise awareness about the extinction threat they face.
Sadly, due to the excessive hunting of wild cheetahs for their fur, and the loss of their habitat due to increased human settlements, as of 2020, there are only around 7,100 cheetahs left in the wild. This is a shocking 50% decline in the last four decades. So, let us recognize this as the day to respect and conserve cheetahs.
Resource: https://nationaltoday.com/international-cheetah-day/
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