While stronger laws and enforcement in the Middle East have reduced demand for cheetahs, cubs are still being stolen from the wild under the false belief that a market still exists.
These cubs, often taken for use as exotic pets or for entertainment, face long, brutal journeys. Most don’t survive the trip, making this a cruel and collapsing trade.
According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, around 300 cubs are illegally captured and smuggled each year from Ethiopia, northern Kenya, Somalia, and Somaliland.
Major Zuhuur Fathi Mukhtar of the Somaliland Coast Guard is calling on governments, organizations, and individuals to step up and protect cheetahs and their habitats for generations to come.
