Scientific American: Habitat loss. Conflict with humans. Climate change. Limited genetic diversity. The illegal wildlife trade. The list of threats Africa's cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) face just seems to go on and on. The famously fleet-footed felines have gone extinct in more than 20 countries and seen their population decline from 100,000 in 1900 to about 10,000 today.
Although their numbers continue to shrink, the big cats are, in a few small ways, actually doing slightly better than they were a few decades ago....