Cheetah trafficking in the Horn of Africa has reached crisis levels. Research published in 2021 found that there had been at least 1 884 individual incidents of seized and non-intercepted live cheetahs and cheetah parts related to the illegal wildlife trade from Africa to the Arabian Peninsula over the previous decade.
More recently, research has shed light on how baby cheetahs are being smuggled from the Horn of Africa to Gulf countries and sold as exotic pets.
The Cheetah Conservation Fund, a registered Canadian charity dedicated to saving cheetahs in the wild, says around 300 cubs are illegally captured from their mothers each year in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, Somalia and Somaliland to supply the illegal cheetah trade. Research findings also show that the trade is on the increase significantly since 2020, with annual records after 2020 reaching 60% more than the previous decade.
As predators, cheetahs play an important role in maintaining ecosystem health by ensuring predator-prey balance, which prevents overgrazing and supports biodiversity. The latest findings estimate that only 2 290 cheetahs remain in the Horn of Africa wildlands. They are listed as vulnerable both on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species and in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, highlighting their risk of extinction.
Consequently, the international trade in wild-caught cheetah for commercial purposes is prohibited, with exceptions granted to Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe through annual quotas for hunting trophies and live specimen.
Despite this, cheetahs continue to face significant risks from the illegal trade in wildlife in East Africa. Specifically, cubs are trafficked to supply growing demand in the Middle East, where owning a cheetah serves as a prestigious status symbol. Combined with instability, enforcement gaps and high levels of poverty in the Horn of Africa, cheetah trafficking has become rampant across East African borders.
Baby cheetahs are taken away from their mothers and sold in Somalia for about US$78. This practice has been linked to local farmers who share land with these animals or encroach on their environments. When cheetahs kill livestock, farmers make up their losses by catching and selling cubs, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
Criminal groups use motorcycles to transport the cubs to Somalia, exploiting porous borders and circumventing enforcement efforts. From Somalia, they are shipped to Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen, where they are sold to exotic pet collectors and private zoos for up to KES3.8 million (almost US$30 000) each.
‘Many die before they reach their destination, mainly due to poor conditions and inadequate care’, the Cheetah Metapopulation Initiative’s Vincent van der Merwe told ENACT.
Social media, e-commerce sites and mobile applications are used to fuel this cross-border crime. In 2024, a report by TRAFFIC, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to ensuring that wildlife trade is legal and sustainable, found that 70% of online trade in cheetahs happened on social media.
Moreover, the report highlighted an estimated 222 unique URLs linked to the online trade of live cheetahs, with traders adopting measures such as creating multiple user profiles, using stronger privacy settings and avoiding incriminating transactional language.
Somaliland’s geographical proximity to the Arabian Peninsula’s wealthy consumer markets for exotic wildlife, as well as weak regulatory frameworks, rampant poverty and inadequate environmental awareness, have made the country a conduit for the illegal wildlife trade. Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia also contribute to the trade, primarily through corruption. In October 2024, The East African noted the role of corrupt border officials in promoting the illegal wildlife trade.
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Area between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula where cheetah cubs are often trafficked
 Source: Conservation Biology, 2024 |
Cheetah trafficking continues despite efforts to combat wildlife crime through regional initiatives such as the Horn of Africa Wildlife Enforcement Network, founded in 2017 by Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) members, and bans on cheetah ownership in destination countries, such as in the UAE in 2016.
It’s clear that cheetah trafficking is a complex issue requiring a wide range of sustainable cross-border interventions. IFAW emphasises the need for building stronger collaboration between national law enforcement agencies in the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. IFAW’s Countering Cheetah Trafficking from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula project advocates for these connections. However, more governmental support is needed.
Given the high levels of poverty in the Horn of Africa, offering sustainable income opportunities is critical in reducing the incentives for individuals and communities to engage in cheetah trafficking. Engaging local communities in conservation efforts will not only raise awareness about the environmental and economic benefits of cheetahs but will also provide livelihood options through tourism initiatives.
Equally, providing attractive and motivating remuneration packages to wildlife conservation employees may curb an exploitable gap by criminal groups. This aligns with findings by scholars who argue that public officials living in difficult socio-economic conditions may tolerate, condone or actively participate in the illegal wildlife trade to supplement low salaries.
There is also a need to strengthen anti-poaching initiatives. Law enforcement capabilities can be improved through better training and the use of technology, such as drones to monitor protected and affected areas. There are several examples in the continent where poaching has been effectively reduced.
Along with this, changing consumer behaviour through public awareness is key. Public awareness campaigns targeting both sellers and buyers of cheetah cubs are crucial to change perceptions of cheetah ownership in the Arabian Peninsula. In the Middle East, for example, campaigns should focus on educating the public about the ethical and environmental implications of owning such exotic pets and the harm the depleted populations have on the home ecosystem. The cultural perception of cheetah ownership can be counter-influenced through celebrity endorsements of wildlife conservation initiatives and collaborations with influencers advocating for the protection of endangered species.
There is a need for joint measures between governments, international bodies and technology-based companies to further develop tools for detecting and removing illegal wildlife trade listings online. In line with this, social media platforms and e-commerce websites must be held accountable for their failure to prevent such illicit trade on their sites.
In an interview with ENACT, Dr Laurie Marker and Shira Yashphe of the Cheetah Conservation Fund emphasised the need for increased involvement of regional bodies such as IGAD in cooperation with governments in both East Africa and the Gulf region towards addressing this illicit trade. Specifically, they noted that regional governments need to collectively enact stronger cheetah anti-trafficking laws, while IGAD should facilitate coordination of member states to ensure adherence to these laws.
Valtino Omolo, Research Officer, ENACT, and Willis Okumu, Senior Researcher, ENACT
Image: Cheetah Conservation Fund
