Ecotourism

Ecotourism is great for the economies of many poorer countries. However, the increase in tourism is not without its problems. In East Africa, tourism has increased sharply since the late 1970s. Cheetahs are diurnal (active during the day) and are quite timid cats. The presence of tourists and their vehicles can disrupt hunting and even drive cheetahs from their kills because the tourists spend more time watching the cats feed and taking their picture. In one African reserve, it is believed that the cheetahs have changed their behavior patterns and are more active at dawn and dusk rather than during the day.

Interestingly, the presence of tourists may actually help cheetah hunting by distracting the prey from the predator. Ecotourism is not a major factor at this time to explain the current decline of cheetahs.