Diseases Impacting Captive and Free-Ranging Cheetahs

In cheetah, the captive population has historically been beset by multiple degenerative and infectious diseases that have had an impact on cheetah health and breeding programs. In contrast, the free-ranging population has been relatively free of these same diseases. Although research into feline infectious peritonitis mortalities at a few zoos in the early 1980s suggested a possible genetic susceptibility to infectious disease, these diseases have not been noted in genetically similar populations of wild cheetahs despite evidence of exposure to infectious agents. Multidisciplinary and collaborative research has focused on the role of stress in development of disease in captive cheetahs. Subsequent improvements in husbandry and management have lessened the severity of some diseases; however, others remain intractable. As wild populations become increasingly fragmented and managed, it will be important to use the knowledge gained from captive populations to help safeguard their health and to prevent the development of disease in wild-caught cheetahs.