Cheetahs primarily live in various regions across Africa, especially in eastern and southern parts of the continent. Their habitats include savannahs, grasslands, shrublands, open woodlands, dry forests, rocky mountains, and deserts. Key countries with significant cheetah populations are Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa, and Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, and Zambia in Southern Africa. Namibia hosts the largest population of wild cheetahs, many of which live on farmlands outside protected areas. Cheetahs also inhabit arid mountain ranges and valleys, such as those in the Sahara and Iran, where the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah survives in desert and hilly terrain. Historically, cheetahs had a much wider range, including much of Asia, but today their presence in Asia is limited mostly to Iran. They thrive in open areas with some cover like bushes, which help them stalk prey while avoiding larger predators. Their populations are declining due to habitat loss, human conflict, and other threats, with many populations now fragmented and reduced compared to their historic ranges