Cheetah Conservation Fund and Wild Africa Fund Unite to Launch Major Awareness Campaign in Somaliland

Hargeisa, Somaliland – May 28, 2024 – The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) hosted an engaging reception to introduce the Somaliland media to their new conservation media partner, the Wild Africa Fund. This event marks the beginning of an impactful awareness program, developed in collaboration with the Somaliland Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC), the Somaliland Ministry of Information, Culture and National Guidance, CCF, and the Wild Africa Fund, aimed at combating the illegal wildlife pet trade in cheetahs from the Horn of Africa.

A United Front Against Wildlife Trafficking

The reception, held at the Ambassador Hotel in Hargeisa, brought together key figures from the Somaliland media, social media influencers, and notable dignitaries to discuss the pressing issue of wildlife trafficking. The audience included Minister Shukri from MoECC, the Faysal Abdirashid Adan, Sucaad Omar, and Abdirahman Abdilahi of the Ministry of Information, Culture and National Guidance, the Taiwanese Ambassador to Somaliland, Allen Lou Chenhwa, Captain Zuhur Fathi Mukhtar from the Somaliland Coast Guard, and numerous media representatives and influencers.

Keynote Addresses and Introductions

Dr. Laurie Marker, Founder and Executive Director of CCF, introduced Peter Knights, CEO of Wild Africa Fund, to the assembled guests. The discussion highlighted the innovative media strategies employed by the Wild Africa Fund to reduce poaching of African elephants and rhinos (https://wildafricafund.org/who-we-are/), which will now be extended to address the trafficking of cheetahs in the Horn of Africa.

Collaborative Efforts and Support

Somaliland’s MoECC and police forces, supported by CCF, have been actively working to curb this illicit trade. CCF is currently caring for 97 cheetahs rescued from the illegal wildlife pet trade at is Cheetah Rescue and Conservation Centre (CRCC) in Geed-Deeble.

This new awareness program, funded by a grant from the European Union (EU) and Welthungerhilfe (WHH), aims to educate the public about the critical issue of wildlife trafficking, with a specific focus on the cheetahs of the Horn of Africa – a population from which 200+ cheetahs have been reported to be trafficked into the Middle East annually, out of a regional population of about 400 individuals in the Horn of Africa. The world population of cheetah is less than 7,000 individuals and this regional subspecies (Acinonyx jubatus soemmerringi) has recently been uplisted by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to Endangered, leaving it vulnerable to local extinction.

The event included interviews with key government officials and influential social media personalities, including YouTuber Qays Qayser, Dhakhtar, and photographer Anas Ahmed Hamud, who pledged to use their platforms to advocate for the conservation of wildlife in Somaliland. The next day, several of the influencers filmed at the CCF’s Cheetah Rescue and Conservation Centre (CRCC) near Geed-Deeble to spread awareness on the plight of the cheetah and how Somalilanders can take the lead in helping stop illegal wildlife trafficking. Slogans being used in the campaign include protecting nature protects us all = Ilaalinta dabiicaddu waa ilaalinta nafaheena and keep wildlife wild = u daa duurjoogta duurkooda.

MOU with Ministry of Information, Culture and Awareness

On the 26th of May, an MOU was signed between the Somaliland Ministry of Information, Culture and National Guidance, and the Wild Africa Fund to work together for the next year in bringing awareness of the illegal wildlife trade in cheetah and protection of the wildlife in Somaliland https://www.facebook.com/share/p/y1BhwiXoQKjBAquN/?mibextid=WC7FNe.

Future Campaign Launch

With the campaign launch scheduled for later in 2024, Somaliland media outlets and influencers stand ready to collaborate and amplify the message. Content developed by Wild Africa Fund will be offered free-to-use to the country’s media, bringing awareness to the plight of species, like the cheetah, threatened with extinction because of illegal actions. The initiative underscores a significant step towards protecting Somaliland’s wildlife and raising global awareness about the devastating impacts of illegal wildlife trade.

For more information on this campaign and ongoing conservation efforts, visit Cheetah Conservation Fund and Wild Africa Fund.

# # #

Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF)

Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is the global leader in research and conservation of cheetahs and dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild. CCF has created a set of integrated programs based on its research to address threats to the cheetah and its ecosystem. Founded in 1990, CCF is an international nonprofit organization headquartered in Namibia with a field base in Somaliland, and partner nonprofit organizations in the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Netherlands and Germany. CCF has been making tremendous inroads in the fight against cheetah trafficking over the past decade, both in Somaliland and the greater Horn of Africa region through extensive education and awareness campaigns to the public about illegal trade and training and partnerships to increase law enforcement where trade occurs. CCF is the longest running and global cheetah conservation organization. For more information, please visit Cheetah Conservation Fund.

Wild Africa Fund

Wild Africa Fund aims to be Africa’s most effective conservation communicator, inspiring the public support and political will to protect Africa’s wildlife and wild spaces forever. We believe people and wildlife can only survive and thrive together, so we are popularising conservation with a much broader audience than has previously been engaged. By amplifying the voices of African opinion leaders from every field through a powerful network of media partners and diverse programming, we seek to promote domestic wildlife tourism, local conservation projects and the passage and effective enforcement of conservation laws. Through our communications and direct support, we also aim to deliver permanent reductions in wildlife crime, the demand for illegal bushmeat, human/wildlife conflict and habitat loss. Our network includes more than 20 national and international broadcasters, as well as radio, newspaper, billboard, PR and social media companies, who work with us pro bono to add their voices and promote conservation and environmental issues. We partner with over 160 ambassadors from music, sports, film, TV, business, religion and government from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Rwanda, Ghana, Namibia, and Zambia. For more information, please visit Wild Africa Fund.

Media Contacts:

For media inquiries, please contact:

Dr. Laurie Marker, director@cheetah.org +264 811247887

Peter Knights, email: peter@wildafricafund.org

More photos available upon request