The decline is cheetahs throughout their range is mostly due to capture and trade, as well as being hunted for their skins. Historically, they were hunting trophies for Europeans who traveled to Africa in the 1800s. While it is illegal to hunt them today, they are still poached for their skins or captured to be used as exotic pets. Another large contributor to their threatened status is that they face large habitat loss. Urbanization, and agriculture disturb their natural areas reducing their range, so much so that there are now areas of protected land for them, hoping to save the remaining numbers. But they are those that live outside those lands and face conflict with farmers who kill the cheetahs to protect their livestock. Human expansion has also effected the cheetahs food source. In some areas, it is hard for cheetahs to find food, and instead they will try to prey on farmed animals and risk death. A biological contributor to decline is that since the numbers of cheetah are already so low, the chances of inbreeding is higher, making members of a population very close genetically. If a disease were to befall a couple individuals, it could potentially wipeout the entire population in that area.
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