Social and genetic population structure assessment of free-ranging cheetah in Botswana: implications for conservation

Once widely distributed throughout Africa,
cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) occur today within fragmented
populations and are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN.
Botswana currently hosts the second largest cheetah population throughout the species’ range. This study initiated a molecular genetic survey of wild Botswana cheetah populations.
It focused on the relatedness within presumed social groups
using 14 microsatellite markers and revealed a higher proportion of unrelated male coalitions than was expected. Based on
the unrelated cheetahs only, the estimation of the genetic
variation corresponded with results from recent studies on
different African populations. The analysis of unrelated individuals indicated limited genetic differentiation between
cheetahs from different regions of Botswana. This suggests
that the Botswana cheetah population might represent a unique
panmictic population as long as sufficient levels of gene flow
are maintained within the distribution range. This baseline
information will now be incorporated to develop management
strategies and set priorities for cheetah conservation in
Botswana.