The South African cheetah census that broke the population illusion - Animal Survival International

The South African cheetah census that broke the population illusion - Animal Survival International

Article written by Don Pinnock Originally published by Daily Maverick, 19 July 2026 After three-and-a-half years, 389 camera traps and 5.2 million images, researchers found a wild population much smaller, more fragmented and more exposed than anyone had assumed. For years, South Africa’s free-roaming cheetah population had a reassuringly round number attached to it: about 300 mature animals living beyond national parks and fenced reserves. It t…