Ten Cheetah Cubs Rescued from Illegal Wildlife Trade in Somaliland

Through coordinated collaboration, Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) and Somaliland’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) rescued ten cheetah cubs from traffickers earlier this month in Somaliland. The cubs ranged in age from just a few weeks old to approximately seven months old, and the group included several cats requiring critical care. After the confiscation, the cubs were immediately transferred to the Cheetah Rescue and Conservation Centre (CRCC) in Geed-Deeble. Staff worked around the clock to stabilize the cubs and provide critical medical care. One of the younger female cubs was extremely malnourished and covered with botfly maggots, while an eight-month-old male cub was unable to walk when he first arrived, after being tied up in captivity for months. After several days of continuous care from CRCC staff, the cubs are now stable and will continue to be rehabilitated.

With fewer than 7,000 cheetahs remaining in the wild, every cub removed by the illegal wildlife trade is a significant loss. Most of the cubs removed from the wild as part of the trade do not survive. In Somaliland, rescuing cheetahs is just one part of CCF’s multifaceted effort to better understand and protect wild cheetah populations in the Horn of Africa. By combining ecological research, community-based conservation initiatives, and educational outreach, we are addressing the biggest threats to wild cheetahs in the region, while empowering local communities and protecting biodiversity in Somaliland at the same time.