King Cheetah female "Matotsi" - 1992

October 1992

My all-time favorite animal. I had heard they had one at San Diego Wild Animal Park once, but I never saw it, even though I used to go there when I lived in L.A. I did get to photograph one (now deceased) at St Louis Zoo in 1999. It's too bad the two king cheetahs in the U.S. now are not on public display, but only occasionaly taken out for educational talks (one at California's Leopards etc and one at Miami Metrozoo). Why doesn't Miami build a public exhibit for their educational cheetahs? They would be only North American zoo with a king cheetah exhibit.

King cheetahs never really "exploded" like white tigers. Nowadays, I suspect the "freak cats" (also including white lions and tigers) are fading out from accredited zoos ... they were a big thing a decade or two ago, but there are now very mixed feelings about breeding them in captivity as they serve no real conservation purpose.

Breeding the Kings to make more Kings serves no conservation purpose, but the cats do still carry vital genes for the species as a whole.

Is this color morph often seen in wild individuals? Is it the sort of thing that puts them at a disadvantage like in white tigers?

It's actually not a colour morph, but a pattern morph. It is rare in wild individuals, but it is not known if it confers any advantage or disadvantage. Evolutionary theory would suggest that, because it is so rare, the gene provides no benefit (at this point in time) to the animal. However, this does not necessarily mean that it is a disadvantage either.

There is an out of print book called "King Cheetah: The Story Of The Quest" where they suggest the king pattern is an adaptation for cheetahs from more forested areas. They do occur every so often in the wild in Kruger Park (South Africa) - not all the time, but more often than say white lions or white tigers in the wild. However, in the early 1900's white tigers were seen (and shot) in the wild in India more often than most people realize - Jim Corbett even filmed one. These were adults, so I'm not sure the coloration is that much of a disadvantage.

fantastic animal, in hybrids is the back pattern very distinct?

If by "hybrids" you mean a king cheetah bred with a typical spotted cheetah, they do not show an intermediate pattern. They either have the full king pattern or a typical spot pattern, although a spotted cheetah could still pass on the king genes. It is a recessive gene and works the same way it does in white tigers.

thanks, so in terms of genes they work the same way as white tigers. But in my opinion King cheetahs look, really regal, whilst white tigers,
I think don't look natural at all... if you know what I mean.