Tsavo Cheetah Project

02/05/2026

The war in Iran dominates the news cycle, affecting millions of people, as well as its fragile ecosystems.

The Asiatic cheetah is one of the world’s rarest big cats, but new reports suggest an increase of 21 cheetahs recorded in 2026, up from just 17 the year before.

For this critically endangered species, this is a rare sign of hope, though challenges remain. Political instability brings cuts to environmental funding, increases in poaching, and prevents field monitoring. Conservation work in Iran has been especially difficult, as several researchers were arrested under suspicion of espionage, while others are prevented from doing fieldwork. The cheetah’s persistence against a backdrop of war offers hope for this national symbol.

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/rt9xd83x



Image of African cheetah sourced by Stephanie B.

02/05/2026

Although It’s always rewarding to find cheetah images on our camera traps, not every image provides all the essential details that we require. For example, as swift as cheetahs can be , we have hundreds of images of them sprinting in front of the cameras, which may be the only captures we receive of them in a month or two. While on some occasions, they are simply walking too quickly (and in the dark) for the zero second camera delay. They may also peer into the unit, apparently coming and going from behind the tree, with only their faces in view. If there are individuals that frequent a location, we can narrow it down a bit , but for data use in verifying individuals it can sometimes be taxing! 🧐 🤔 🙃

20/03/2026

This location is now known as the "All cat tree", formally only known as the "All cat but leopard tree!"

20/03/2026

If only all cheetahs made it this easy! 🫶 Depending on a camera's secure placement and positioning, it can sometimes be a bit challenging to confirm the s*x of a cheetah from a distance. It often requires aa few separate captures, especially if they are detected alone.

16/03/2026

On a broader scale, there are primarily two types of electrical fencing which encompasses the Tsavo ecosystem, through the Kasigau (Wildlife) Corridor. The fencing project represented in the photograph with the tire shows a gap ,approximately two feet from the ground. This would obviously allow for small - medium sized animal's movements with little risk of injury for most species. However, it would not allow the movements of the larger ungulates such as the giraffe and eland, and could also cause potential injury upon entanglement. This specific fencing was placed to reduce human-elephant conflict in the adjacent communities. On the contrary, the private ranch fencing was erected to prevent the passage of both trespassers and wildlife , with the lower, firm high - voltage wire lying just above the ground, or actually touching it in many locations. This particular fencing not only impedes the movements of wide- ranging species like the cheetah and other wildlife, but has caused numerous injuries and deaths to animals. In this second fence photograph, you can see the enticing fresh rain water in a small dam, bordering another private ranch. it is only natural for animals to attempt to cross, given the distance between water sources and competition with livestock and people.

08/03/2026

Celebrating 2026. In appreciation of all the women conservationists, wildlife rangers, scientists and "cheetahs", that are making Tsavo a better place!

03/03/2026

Scent is one of the main methods of communication among cheetahs. Like many felid species, leaving and receiving olfactory information is channeled by three primary techniques. 1. Scratching trees, trunks etc. to deposit pheromones from their paw pads. 2. Spraying (males) and defecating on regular stations such as ‘play trees’, termite mounds, or stationary objects like direction blocks. And 3. Rubbing against objects to leave pheromones. Males, in particular, spend a considerable amount time marking their scent and smelling the scent of other cheetahs in effort to claim hunting grounds and territories, while females scent mark to indicate reproductive status.

03/03/2026

Happy !
Support our campaign at https://givebutter.com/aXhWAL or via https://felidaefund.org/projects/research/tsavo-cheetah-project
PayPal: [email protected]

02/03/2026

24/02/2026

Asanta sana (Thank you) to Wildlife Works staff for assisting the project in retrieving one of our cameras from a dam, yesterday. The dam filled up substantially, within three short days of rain!

24/02/2026

Cheetahs and lions share habitats across the Tsavo ecosystem, and exist as part of the same predator guild. Since our camera traps are revealing significant nocturnal cheetah activity in the same dense habitats as the lion, it will be interesting to see how they coexist, with further research.