Cheetahs are specialist hunters whose welfare is intimately linked to prey availability. Prey depletion from overhunting, bushmeat trade, and habitat loss forces cheetahs into livestock raiding, triggering conflict that is the primary driver of population decline outside protected areas.
Cheetahs whose prey base is depleted face chronic nutritional stress, increased injury risk from failed hunts, and greater exposure to conflict with farmers when livestock becomes the accessible food source. Cubs of malnourished mothers have lower survival rates, compounding welfare and population declines. Livestock predation leads to cheetahs being trapped, shot, or poisoned by farmers protecting their herds. Supporting prey recovery programs and coexistence initiatives simultaneously improves individual cheetah welfare and population viability. Translocation programs moving cheetahs away from conflict areas must address the root cause — prey scarcity — to be durable solutions.