A report from the Sahelo Saharan Interest Group – Office du Parc National de l’Ahaggar Survey, Algeria (March 2005) – Part 5: Using molecular genetics to study the presence of endangered carnivores
- November 1, 2006
- by G.B.J. Busby, D. Gottelli, S.M. Durant, T. Wacher, Marker L. L., F. Belbachir, K. De Smet, A. Belbachir-Bazi, A. Fellous, M. Belghoul
Abstract
The status of the cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, in Northern Africa is poorly known. Study of this species has concentrated on the two major populations of the Serengeti in Tanzania and in Namibia. A lack of detailed baseline data has led to an increasingly detached and unsure view of the present status of this animal in its most northern reaches of Africa. This paper represents the first steps to use multiple techniques to confirm the presence of cheetahs in Algeria and to show the power and importance of the genetics.
