CHEETAHS IN KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK.

Cheetahs are very rare in Uganda, and Kidepo Valley National Park is the only park in Uganda that harbors them. This remote park is situated in North Eastern Uganda. They are very few in number, and there was fear that they could have become extinct years ago.

However, they can be spotted in the park though not easily, and in the presence of a ranger who is well versed with the areas of the park where they hide. There are about 20 cheetahs in Kidepo Valley National Park, a very small number, hence the need to fully sensitize and see to it that these are protected and conditions favored so they may breed and we have more of them.

Cheetahs are part of the cat family. They are spotted cats that are lightly built and the fastest land animals, running at 80-128km/hr. After a chase, cheetahs need about half an hour to catch their breath. They are carnivores that feed on hares, warthogs, antelopes impalas and gazelles. They purr, instead of roaring, unlike their cat family species.

They have an excellent eye sight that enables them to easily spot prey during the day. They prefer to live in grasslands and are hard to see because their spotted coats blend with the tall dry grass of the plains. They do not live-in groups, female cheetahs live on their own in large ranges of space. They mate with different partners in that each cub in the range may have its own father.