We are well aware of the various ways in which animals help people. Dogs perform a variety of jobs from law enforcement to assisting the visually impaired, from search and rescue to therapy work, and much more. Horses, mules, and oxen were integral to the expansion into the west, and some still work today. But have you heard about animals helping other animals? You may be surprised to learn some of the ways in which they do. Let’s discuss a couple.
African cheetah numbers are declining in the wild. Two of the main contributing factors to this decrease is habit loss and conflict with humans. Farmers in Africa make their livelihood raising livestock. Most domestic livestock lack the skills and adaptations to combat predation unlike their wild counterparts. Many of Africa’s top predators, including lions, are nocturnal. Unfortunately for the cheetah, being diurnal, farmers often blame them for the loss of their livestock. In order to protect their animals, the farmers hunt kill any cheetahs they see near their land. Fortunately, the Cheetah Conservation Fund has a harmonious solution to this problem. They give the famers Anatolian Shepards, a livestock guarding breed originally from Turkey, to raise within their herds. The dog’s presence and loud barks scare away predators. Cheetahs are notoriously known as the scaredy cats of the Serengeti. While their adaptations for speed make them the fastest land animal, they are in no way built to fight. Cheetahs have been known to be chased from a kill by vultures. So, it’s no surprise that since the introduction of the Livestock Guarding Dog Program, there have been almost no human cheetah conflict in the areas where the program has been implemented. These dogs are simultaneously helping save cheetah populations and humans. Learn more about this program at cheetah.org