An alarming new study shows that the majestic cheetah is in increasing danger of extinction, with just 7,100 adult cheetahs believed to remain in the wild. Now, conservationists are urging drastic new measures to save this dwindling species, which is the fastest land animal on Earth.

The loss of natural habitat is what threatens Cheetahs the most. Believe it or not, they once reached numbers of about 100,000 a century ago, and have dwindled to less than a tenth of that today. Growing human populations have encroached on their territory, according to a new study.

Cheetahs are frequently killed by farmers hoping to protect their livestock and consequently their livelihoods. They also set snares for them, and they are captured and illegally traded as exotic pets.