Algeria: Rare Saharan cheetah spotted for the first time in a decade, see pics

Naturalists in Algeria have filmed a rare Saharan cheetah for the first time in a decade, international media reported citing officials. The subspecies, which is categorized as endangered by the International Union of Conservation (IUCN)  was previously spotted in the Hogger Mountains national park, the state-run news agency reported. The Saharan cheetah, also known as Northwest African cheetah is quite different in appearance from the other African cheetahs. Its coat is shorter and nearly white in colour, with spots that fade from black over the spine to light brown on the legs. The face has few or even no spots, and the tear stripes are often missing.

Shared on Facebook

On May 25, the national park’s scientists released a documentary on their work, which also included a photo of the rare cat captured in the Atakor volcanic field. Later, the photograph was posted on Facebook and it has since become a massive hit on the internet. One user commented, "May they grow from 37 to 370 They can be spotted even lesser in the wild, as long as they grow in numbers, while in hiding" while another user wrote, "Great to sight endangered species". The photographs were later shared on Twitter by IFS officer Susanta Nanda who revealed that only 37 of them are remaining in the wild.  

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According to reports,  the feline's range is now limited to isolated pockets across the Sahara and Sahel from Mali in the west to the Central African Republic in the east. The subspecies was last seen in the Hoggar Mountains in 2008-10. As per reports, four individuals of the species were recorded by camera traps. 

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