Cheetah is Africa’s fastest cat, and actually the fastest land animal in the world. They are long, thin and light-bodied –built for speed. Cheetah, unlike many other cats, have semi-retractable claws. Their unique claws help with acceleration and quick direction changes during their short bursts of immense speed as they hunt down prey. Cheetah are not commonly hunted and are strictly protected under CITES appendix 1.
There are only two African countries where cheetah can be hunted, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Botswana has stable populations of wild cheetah but due to the government hunting ban, they may not be hunted. In Namibia there is strict control over the hunting of cheetah, there is a CITES quota of 150 cheetah which may be exported. If you wish to take a Cheetah on Safari you will need to contact your outfitter and let them know so that the permit can be made out in your name. This needs to be done through the Namibian Ministry of Environment and tourism at least 14 days prior to your hunt. Cheetah occurs throughout Namibia but there is a dense population within the central part and northern parts of the country. Only male Cheetah may be taken in Namibia, and it may not be done with artificial light or with the use of dogs.
In Zimbabwe, Cheetah hunting is strictly protected and a permit needs to be obtained from Parks Wildlife Management Authority before hunting one of these animals. Cheetah occurs in the southern parts of Zimbabwe.
Cheetah cannot be imported into the USA as US Fish and Wildlife do not issue import permits for Cheetah.
Hunting a cheetah is most commonly done during the day. They are strictly diurnal predates, unlike many other cats. Cheetah is fairly tough to target, thus they are usually taken by chance when one comes across a specimen while in the field. In areas where it is known that there is a good population of Cheetah, it may be a bit easier to out looking for a good specimen. A Cheetah does not respond to a bait such as a leopard or lion, but if a fresh cheetah kill is found in the field it is worth it to build a blind looking over the kill as they will 9 times out of 10 come back to feed. Cheetah can often be a great nuisance to farmers as they will kill several animals for no apparent reason and thus are a threat to livestock.
Cheetahs prefer areas where there are sufficient wide-open grasslands and savannahs so that they have space to chase and kill prey. They prey on small to medium antelope such as impala, duiker, blesbuck, and steenbuck. They will stay in areas where a good supply of small animals, and thus are a common problem for small livestock farmers. An interesting fact is that Cheetah only drinks every three to four days, and is not reliant on water.
As with all cats, the heart of a cheetah is placed slightly further back compared to various antelope species. A well-placed shot behind the shoulder in the bottom third of the body will penetrate the heart; any higher will penetrate both lungs. Either of these shots will do the trick on a cheetah. Due to the nature of these animals, a shot might need to be taken while the animal is facing away from you. If this is the case -place the crosshairs high up on the neck, and take the shot, this is however not recommended on such a special trophy. Use Fast shooting caliber that can easily shoot a 150g.r+ bullet up to 300 yards to take a cheetah, they are very unpredictable and make an interesting hunting.
If you are looking for a great Cheetah hunt in Africa, give us a call or fill out the form below and let us help you find the perfect cheetah hunt for you.
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