Eleven cheetah cubs were rescued from illegal trade in Somaliland in what environmental experts described as “one of the largest confiscations of the species.”
According to CBS News, the cubs were packed in bags that resembled sacks of potatoes and were being transported in a small dhow off the Somaliland coast at Berbera when the local coast guard intercepted them last Sunday.
Two locals and three Yemenis were arrested during the rescue operation, and the cheetahs were taken to a rescue center owned by the Cheetah Conservation Fund, or CCF.
In a social media post, CCF said its staff “worked around the clock to stabilize the cubs - and are continuing to rehabilitate the cats.” The group also released photos of some of the animals.
Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, is a major transit hub for the illegal wildlife trade.
Possession of wildlife is illegal in Somaliland, and police often crack down on suspected traders.
CCF founder Laurie Marker said the rescued cubs “were in very poor condition.”
She said: “One died only a few hours after arriving at CCF's center, although in ICU and critical care administered. Another died the next day under same conditions. Two others are in critical care, one of which is in very bad state. The other seven are responding.”
“Cheetahs are not pets. They are wild animals, top predators and play an important role in the ecosystem,” she said.
The rescue of cubs is “critical” in the fight to save the cheetah from extinction, Marker said, adding: “With fewer than 7,000 cheetahs left in the wild, we can't afford to lose a single one to the illegal pet trade.”
Environment experts in the Horn of Africa have previously expressed concern over the rise in demand for exotic pets in several countries and the resulting illegal trade affecting ecosystems in Horn of Africa nations and the Middle East.
