Cheetahs in the Wild: Facts & Photos
EmailTonight’s Person of the Week is Dr. Laurie Marker, a woman who has devoted her life to a single cause – saving the cheetahs. She moved thousands of miles to the African country of Namibia to live with some of the most endangered animals on earth. Take a look at our photos below of these truly spectacular animals. Cheetahs are fast disappearing. 100 years ago there were 100,000 of them. Now, 90 percent of them are gone – an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 survive in the wild. They are built for brief but extremely fast bursts of speed. They can reach up to 80 miles an hour. Cheetahs eat mammals such as gazelles, wildebeest, hares, warthogs and birds. In the wild, they typically live eight to ten years. In captivity they can live up to 17 years. Cheetahs usually reach between three and a half and four and a half feet long in size – plus they have tails that typically measure about 30-inches. For more information, visit the website of the African Wildlife Foundation.
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Why are you giving this person headlines when Tippi Heddren is trying to save her big cats reserve from the fire in California?
Posted by: Barbara | September 4, 2009, 7:00 pm 7:00 pm
How many donkeys have to be killed to feed these useless killer cheeters. AND CBS makes her Person of the Week. Should be person of the weak minds.
Posted by: Roger Glenn | September 4, 2009, 7:01 pm 7:01 pm
I am interested in purchasing one of the puppies as shown on the Person Of The Week (Cheetahs) as a donation. Thanks for any information
Posted by: Doug Rogers | September 4, 2009, 7:12 pm 7:12 pm
To Roger Glen
What an ignorant comment.Donkeys are not an endangered species. How many chickens,eggs(potential chickens), cattle ( family BBQs, Burger King,MacDonalds,Wendy’s,etc) fish,turkeys,etc have died to feed just YOU,nevermind the rest of the world’s population? Every species on the earth has its place in the ecosystem,as either predator or prey. I hate to say it but in all honesty,the most destructive & dangerous creature on the planet is the human race. Air & water pollution, global warming, & all kinds of poisonous chemical byproducts of our civilization are ruining this planet & will soon make it uninhabitable for our descendents unless something is done now. People like Dr Marker & all conservationists & wildlife organizations are a ray of hope.
BTW, I have been supporting Dr Marker’s
Cheetah Conservation Fund,Tippi Hedren’s Shambala preserve & other environmental orgs. for many years.
Posted by: BlueCornMoon | September 4, 2009, 7:22 pm 7:22 pm
“Cheetahs are fast disappearing.” – ABC News
Pfffttt!
Not in Washington DC.
That place is overloaded with Cheetars.
: o )
Posted by: Noz | September 4, 2009, 7:24 pm 7:24 pm
I had the amazing opportunity to visit the Cheetah Conservatory in Namibia less than a month ago. I am thrilled you chose Dr. Laurie as your Person of the Week. Dr. Laurie has a passion for the cheetahs and is trying to save the species. Not only does she take in injured and sick cheetahs, she is finding a solution to the problem. The Angolan dogs are a solution because 80% of the wild cheetahs in Namibia are living on farmland. If the farmers are given a way to protect their livestock, fewer cheetahs will be killed. The conservatory breeds the dogs and gives them to farmers free of charge. I am sorry others who work with a similar passion for big cats were not highlighted, but why put down the lifetime positive work of others? These cheetahs are not useless and I am concerned about you Roger, this is ABC – not CBS. I encourage everyone to investigate the Cheetah Conservatory Fund and decide for yourself if these remarkable animals are worth funding.
Posted by: Suzanne | September 4, 2009, 7:45 pm 7:45 pm
Not to take away from the work that Dr. Marker is doing in Africa, but Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon, breeds cheetahs as another way to protect the species.
There are many people involved in preservation in many places.
Posted by: suki | September 4, 2009, 9:01 pm 9:01 pm
I also would be interested in the dogs she is breeding to protect the Cheetas. What is the breed again?
Posted by: Koelle | September 4, 2009, 9:06 pm 9:06 pm
How can you pick Dr. Laurie Marker as the Person of the Week when only minutes before you showed a story about a man who saved the lives of 669 children. Certainly, Sir Nicholas Winton’s efforts during the Holocaust bear stronger merit then saving some Cheetahs.Human life is more precious than animal life. I think somebody made a big mistake at ABC.
Posted by: Gregb | September 4, 2009, 9:17 pm 9:17 pm
Wow, what a wonderful story and congratulations for making her the person of the week! These are beautiful creatures, one of many that are at the fate of mankind.
lovely.
Posted by: roger | September 4, 2009, 9:22 pm 9:22 pm
In my previous blog I stated the dogs were Angolian dogs – after looking it up, they are Anatolian dogs – sorry. You can find more information at cheetah.org. You can go under the tab ‘How You Can Help’ and click on the guardian dog section. I hope this helps.
Posted by: Suzanne | September 4, 2009, 9:28 pm 9:28 pm
Suki,
Dr. Laurie began her career in Oregon. I thought it may have been at a zoo, but maybe it was at the Wildlife Safari.
Posted by: Suzanne | September 4, 2009, 9:31 pm 9:31 pm
Lauirie Marker began her career working with cheetahs at the Wildfie Sarari in Winston, Oregon. She even took one of their cheetahs to Africa to see if she could be introduced into the wild.
Posted by: Mary L. Swanson | September 4, 2009, 9:36 pm 9:36 pm
The Cheetah is a beautiful animal and should somehow be allowed to remain on our earth. Bravo to Laurie. Go Girl!
Posted by: sharon | September 4, 2009, 9:43 pm 9:43 pm
Indeed, Dr. Laurie Marker found her passion working with cheetahs at Wildlife Safari nearly 35 years ago. I hope she doesn’t mind my sharing that info. I clearly remember her caring for Rafa and Juba and researching the needs of these wonderful animals.
Posted by: Kathy | September 4, 2009, 9:56 pm 9:56 pm
We are thrilled that the Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Executive Director, Dr. Laurie Marker, was ABC’s Person of the Week! Thanks everyone for comments and interest. The dogs are Anatolian Shepherds and Kangals. To learn more about them and our work please visit cheetah.org. Thanks!
Posted by: Patricia Tricorache | September 5, 2009, 12:32 am 12:32 am
Why don’t the cattle ranchers have these Anatolian dogs in Idaho where they are now killing wolves for the same reason cheetahs are being killed? Oh, I know why — unfortunately there are still people out there who enjoy killing these animals and love to have a trophy picture or taxidermy mounting on their walls. Ugh.
Posted by: alysaann | September 5, 2009, 12:49 am 12:49 am
Why are donkeys more valuable than cheetahs? Because they can be used as slaves for humans? Which is more cruel, to kill a beast that helps keep the population of rodents down, or to keep a beast as a slave?
Posted by: mmarie | September 5, 2009, 1:53 am 1:53 am
It is ironic that the person of the week is trying to save endangered cheetas in Africa while morons in Idaho are massacreing wolves trying to make them extinct after the U.S. spent millions bringing the wolf back from the brink of extinction. How can we save animals overseas while slaughtering our own animals. Wolf killers are pathetic idiots and this country is worthless for allowing the slaughter to continue. What is sad is that Obama apointed a wolf hating rancher as Secretary of the Interior. We may as well have voted Republican. We can’t trust the Democrats to really change anything.
Posted by: Steven Brennan | September 5, 2009, 2:12 am 2:12 am
The accomplishments of Sir Winton make for a tough act to follow. To impact all those lives, live to 100 and attend that reunion. What a shame he wasn’t your person of the week. I can only hope you’re saving him for person of the year.
Posted by: Brice | September 5, 2009, 9:20 am 9:20 am
Kudos to Dr. Marker and her team for their tireless work to save the cheetah from extinction. Their efforts are also helping the Namibian people to better protect their livestock and give them a better quality of life. It’s a win-win situation. There are 52 weeks in a year and Dr. Marker deserves her place among the other truly outstanding People of the Week. Thanks, ABC!!
Posted by: Julie | September 5, 2009, 10:36 am 10:36 am
I work on the Cheetah Conservation Fund which is Laurie’s Fund and want to let all of you know that each and every one of us has different causes in our life and we should all pick one but please respect the work that others choose for their cause, one is not better than the other just different if we all choose a different cause and help work towards a goal of saving both animals and human life then all will have a chance but please think before you post a negative comment!How you would feel if someone posted one against one of your causes!!
Posted by: Andrea | September 5, 2009, 11:13 am 11:13 am
Such hateful comments on here! Just because Laurie Marker isn’t saving wolves or whales, or feeding the poor, or supporting cancer research, or saving the rain forest is no reason to be disrespectful toward her work.
There are over 6 billion people in the world and plenty of causes to go around. Attacking someone who is trying to save an endangered species is a bit self-centered, don’t you think?
Posted by: Katie | September 5, 2009, 4:12 pm 4:12 pm
I listened to this horrid news item last night – I usually do not post comments – but this is an item that should not go without a comment.
I beg to disagree with ABC Worldnews in this choice of Person Of The Week – this is a highly unmerrited acolade. An individual plays God, decides that one animal is more precious than the other and gets an award of Person Of The Week from such a prestigious news agency!!! Whos decides what and which animal is higher in the scale of liveability? Why would it be tolerable to kill Donkeys in order to feed and ensure the survival of Cheetas? When you come to think of it, Donkeys are more usueful to us humans than this so called exorctic animal. Donkeys help us for transportation and lugging – hence they have long been known as mans’ beast of burden. They help us in the fileds as agricultural tillers of the soil and at home in numerous other chores. What has the Cheeta ever done for man and mankind. This is so absurd that I am personally calling on ABD Worldnews Producers to retract this Person Of The Week Award – it is uncalled for, unwarranted and by no means deserved. Mind you, I am not affiliated to any animal-loving organization and not a fan of ownership of pets of any kind, but I believe that no animal should be placed on such a high pedestal over another that there is justification and even applauded stance for the slaughter of one to ensure the survival of another. In the bush where it is mostly survival of the fittest and the food-chain is well established, if a cheetar kills a donkey for food so be it – this woman should not be given any more news coverage for this beastly act “in the name of saving the cheetas”.
Posted by: Chief Nnamdi A. Ekenna | September 5, 2009, 6:17 pm 6:17 pm
Laurie and I worked together in 1976 at the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. Our first two cheetahs were Rafa and Juba.
Posted by: Diane | September 5, 2009, 6:46 pm 6:46 pm
Koelle said:
“Human life is more precious than animal life.”
Do you think you’re God, or did He tell you that Himself, or…? You possess less intelligence than those beautiful creatures Laurie Marker has dedicated her life to saving. Shame on you!
Posted by: AnimalLover | September 7, 2009, 1:29 pm 1:29 pm
and Barbara did you know what is your talking about..?
CCF AND CCB and other conservation’s main objective is to protect the wild cheetah…Keep up the Good Work…Ignore does people would you think is not important specially Roger Glenn and Barbara…
They did not know what they are talking about for the cheetah….does people would you think encourage you for nothing….
Dr. Marker and Ms. Klein continue the job regarding what is the best for our cheetah’s….God Bless you and your Conservation…More POwer….
Posted by: zirsandrix | September 14, 2009, 1:05 am 1:05 am