Why Cheetahs Don’t Engage in Infanticide?

In the animal kingdom, instances of infanticide have been extensively recorded in various feline species, notably in lions. The prevailing notion suggests that males who commit infanticide gain reproductive benefits by eliminating unrelated offspring, prompting females to enter estrus sooner and thereby hastening their genetic legacy. Yet, an intriguing deviation from this behavior is found among cheetahs. Cheetahs attract attention due to their conspicuous nature and have been subject to countless hours of observation; however, no cases of infanticide have ever been documented.

One plausible explanation for why cheetahs refrain from killing their young lies in the territorial behavior of female cheetahs. Unlike lions and leopards with fixed territories, female cheetahs inhabit vast ranges that often intersect with those of other females. Consequently, male cheetahs see little advantage in harming cubs since the female is likely to move on before conceiving again. This lack of territorial aggression significantly diminishes the likelihood of infanticide within cheetah populations.

Another contributing factor to the absence of infanticide among cheetahs is their distinctive reproductive cycle. Unlike larger felines that space out pregnancies over longer periods, most cheetah mothers can conceive again when their cubs are about a year old. This allows male cheetahs to displace cubs for mating purposes without resorting to lethal actions. By the time a mother becomes pregnant anew, her previous litter is usually self-sufficient. 

Although speculations suggest that fear of injury from older cubs deters infanticide among cheetahs, this theory lacks full validity. Male cheetahs have been witnessed engaging in fatal confrontations over territory with other males when necessary, indicating a willingness for violence if needed. Furthermore, unlike some big cats like lions killing leopard cubs or vice versa as observed elsewhere in nature, incidents involving actual killings by cheetah mothers are scarce despite instances of driving off lion cubs deliberately.

In essence, the remarkable absence of infanticide among cheetah populations can be attributed to their extensive territorial dynamics and unique reproductive strategies.