A new study challenges the long-held belief that lions are the primary threat to cheetah cubs. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, found that cheetahs are more likely to be killed by other cheetahs than by lions.

The researchers studied data on cheetah cubs from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. They found that out of 114 cheetah cubs that died, only 13 were killed by lions. In comparison, 38 were killed by other cheetahs, 25 died of starvation, and 19 died from other causes, such as disease or accidents.

The researchers believe that this research may have important implications for cheetah conservation. If lions are not the main threat to cheetah cubs, then conservation efforts should focus on other factors that affect cub survival. For example, the researchers suggest that efforts to reduce conflict between cheetahs and other cheetahs may be more effective than efforts to reduce conflict between cheetahs and lions.

It is also worth noting that this study was conducted in the Serengeti National Park, and it is possible that the dynamics of cheetah-lion interactions may be different in other ecosystems. Further research is needed to confirm the findings of this study and to determine the relative impact of lions and other factors on cheetah cub survival in different ecosystems.

In conclusion, this study challenges the traditional view that lions are the primary threat to cheetah cubs. The researchers found that cheetahs are more likely to be killed by other cheetahs than by lions, and suggest that conservation efforts should be revised accordingly.