Northeast African Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii

Status: Endangered. Cheetahs are threatened by poaching, wildlife trade, and hunting. The reduction of gazelle in their range has also been affecting their numbers, because they require gazelle to feed upon. Urbanization has decreased the habitat of for both species.

In Ancient Egypt, Mafdet was revered as a cheetah goddess. She was the protector of Ra (the Sun God) sprinting alongside his chariot. Apophis was a giant serpent that encircled the world and was the deity of chaos and destruction. As Ra's mortal enemy, Apophis would attack Ra's chariot in the darkness of each night when the chariot cycled through the underworld. Apophis attempted to defeat Ra and thus insure that the daylight would not return in the morning, and even tried to swallow the chariot, but each sunrise signaled Ra's triumph, as Mafdet fended off the attacks.

Because Ra was seen as patron of pharaohs, Mafdet was protector of pharaohs as well. She defended against evildoers by tearing out their hearts, and particularly against snakes and venomous creatures in the sacred chambers. She was a patroness of the dead, and protected against snakebites.

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