The Earth is teaming with life. From the oceans, to the valleys, to the highest mountains. A long time ago there were other types of creatures. However, they have gone extinct, or have died off. We sometimes take for granted the amazing creatures that we have today. But what if they were to go extinct? Many creatures are on the verge of extinction. In this paper I will tell about one such creature, the cheetah, and how we can stop them from going extinct. I am going to start by giving you a little information about this amazing animal.

Close your eyes. Pretend that you are in Africa in the 1900s and over 135,000 cheetahs roam free. Picture a grassy plain filled with tall grass, bushes, and large plants. Imagine a Thomson’s gazelle with its deep brown, tan, and white body. Its long Antlers reach to the sky. Tiny rings surround the trunk of the antlers. The Thomson’s gazelle is grazing, unaware of the danger lurking in the tall grass. The danger is a cheetah. The cheetah is crouched in the grass, ready to pounce. Its light tan skin is covered with black spots. Its small head looks like that of its relatives in the cat family, except for the black lines running down its face. Some call those lines “tear stains” because they look like tears formed them. The cheetah knows that it is a bad hunter and will need to use its speed to its advantage. The cheetah bounds from its hiding place and in three seconds is running at a speed of sixty miles per hour. The Thomson’s gazelle raises its head from the delicious grass and begins to sprint for its life. The cheetah easily overtakes the gazelle. The cheetah tries to tackle the gazelle to the ground. But, the cheetah built for speed, is not heavy enough to overcome his enemy. The Thomson’s gazelle squirms free and runs away. The cheetah is spent and collapses to the ground. It does not have the strength to put up a fight. All over Africa this is happening in the 1900s. A few lucky cheetahs get their food, but the others starve.

The cheetahs begin to dwindle in numbers. By the 2009 the cheetahs are all but extinct. The creature that used to spread out over all of Africa is now only found in little clumps here and there. The cheetahs that do survive look for other prey, because their normal food (hares, impala, wilder beast calves, and Thomson’s gazelle) is no longer available to hunt. They find local farmer’s livestock and feast on the caged-in animals. But, the farmers do not want to loose profit, so they pull out their guns and shoot down the “pests” to keep them away from their animals. Cheetahs not only starve or get hunted, they also loose their homes. What was once a lush grassy plain is now a sub-desert, treeless plain with short grass instead of the tall grass that cheetahs need. What used to be a thriving species is now one of less than 5,000 animals. But, why should we care?

This is the question that many people ask. Why should we care? They believe that cheetahs are pests and deserve to die. But, as fictional character Gandalf from the trilogy Lord of the Rings says, “Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety.” We should not end the life of these amazing creatures just because they kill livestock. There will be livestock in the future, but if we continue to kill the cheetahs they will not be in the future. Why should we care? Because cheetahs are beautiful creatures that deserve life not death, unless we can give them life back in return. Don’t be quick to kill. But, how can we save them?

The answer is simple. What does every living thing need? They need food, life, and a home. The cheetah’s food is gone from the area. We need to bring back their prey. We need to put the impalas, gazelles, and other snacks back into the plains of Africa. The second thing they need is life. The solution is extremely simple. We need to ban hunting cheetahs. We need to make laws to surround the cheetahs in a protective bubble. We also need to leave them alone. The cheetah’s habitat is destroyed. We need to back off and not touch their land. We need to let the vegetation grow back and let the grass grow tall again. We need to preserve the habitat of this amazing creature. And most of all, we need to allow the cheetah to rise up and battle extinction, and win. It is our duty to save these wonderful animals.

Cheetahs are astounding creatures. They amaze many people. And they bring joy to even more. When people see a picture of a cheetah their smiles widen and they stare in awe at the animal of speed. But what if they were to die off and become just another creature of legend? What if they were to become just another happy memory? Too many animals have suffered this fate because of the human’s lack of respect. Too many have died because humans don’t have enough sense to preserve the natural beauty of the world. I say enough! Let us rise up and protect one of the wonders in this world. Let us save the cheetahs.