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Esteemed for its speed and athleticism, admired for its grace and beauty, coveted for its hunting prowess, the cheetah has nonetheless been harrassed and hounded to the point of extinction. Author Luke Hunter, a specialist on African carnivores, looks into the history, evolution, behaviour and day-to-day survival of one of the most fascinating of the big cats. He discusses the ancestry of the cheetah, its hunting strategies, reproduction, social behaviour and status throughout Africa and Iran – the last remaining pocket of the species in Asia.

Hunter also focuses on the tenuous future of the cheetah, its decreasing habitat and declining numbers, and deals with the immediate and long-term conservation issues facing the species. His authoritative text highlights the latest research on cheetahs, dispelling the myths and providing a comprehensive overview of the cheetah in the wild. Throughout the book, his first-hand field observations supplement data on the latest ecological discoveries from cheetah researchers across Africa.

Powerful, full-colour photographs by Dave Hamman make this book a visual feast and reveal a world that is both intensely private and highly dramatic. Hamman's portrayal of the many modes and activities of this elusive animal presents a sumptuous gallery of photographs, while at the same time serving to broaden our knowledge – and help ensure the survival – of this remarkable and beautiful cat.

About the Authors

Dave Hamman has been a photo-journalist and wildlife photographer for the past 10 years. His photographs have been published around the world in magazines such as National Geographic, Smithsonian, GEO and Africa: Environment and Wildlife. He has also collaborated on a photographic book depicting African Wild dogs, entitled Running Wild: Dispelling the Myths of the African Wild Dog.

Luke Hunter is a conservation biologist with the New York based Wildlife Conservation Society where he heads their Global Carnivore Program. Hunter has conducted fieldwork on large cats in Africa since 1992, focusing on efforts to restore species to areas of their former range. His doctorate examined the behaviour and ecology of reintroduced cheetahs and lions in South Africa, and evaluated the effectiveness of reintroduction as a tool to re-establish populations of large cats. His current projects include assessing the effects of sport hunting and illegal persecution on leopards outside protected areas, an analysis of the conservation needs of large carnivores across continental Africa, and the first intensive study of wolves, striped hyaenas, Persian leopards and the last surviving Asiatic cheetahs in Iran. Hunter has contributed to over 50 scientific papers and popular articles, and has written four books including Cheetah (Struik, 2003).

Hardcover, 144 pages, 320mm x 245mm
Authors: Luke Hunter & Dave Hamman

ISBN-10: 186872719X
ISBN-13: 9781868727193