2009 & 2011 Dataset
Previously-collected data were provided for this part of the thesis. Six cheetahs (Groups 1 & 2) resident at the Cheetah Conservation Fund Research & Education Centre (CCF) near Otjiwarongo, Namibia, were observed during feeding times in 2009, then again in 2011.
An ethogram of feeding and social behaviours was created and these behaviours were recorded for each cheetah for up to 60 minutes in 1-minute intervals.
2023 Data Collection
Between October and December 2023, I observed seven cheetahs at CCF (Groups 3 & 4), following the same methods as the dataset above. The feeding and social behaviours were recorded and analysed.
These cheetahs are highly habituated to humans, so my presence close to their feeding pens did not appear to affect their behaviour.
Data Analysis
For each behaviour, for each cheetah, the total number of minute intervals and the mean/standard deviation were calculated.
The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare behaviours between 2009 and 2011.
The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare behaviours observed in 2023 to 2009, and 2023 to 2011, respectively.