Each cheetah specimen is of paramount importance for this species which has a very limited genetic heritage. Cheetahs are so close to each other that a single disease could decimate an entire population. However, foiling the most pessimistic scientific prognoses, cheetahs have already managed to survive millennia despite this so little diversified genetic inheritance. In addition, the appearance of mutants, such as the royal cheetah, allowing cheetahs to adapt to new environments (in this case, the wooded savannah through a darker coat), shows that the species evolution is not fixed. Cheetahs continue to develop mutations that should gradually diversify their genetic heritage provided they are given time.