Hiiraan Online

Hargeisa (HOL) — Somaliland’s coast guard has intercepted a dhow carrying eleven cheetah cubs intended for the illegal wildlife trade, marking one of the largest confiscations of the endangered species in recent years, conservationists said.

The operation occurred on September 28, 2025, off the Berbera coast, where authorities arrested two Somaliland nationals and three Yemeni suspects allegedly transporting the cubs across the Gulf of Aden. Officials said the animals were packed in sacks resembling potato bags and showed signs of severe malnutrition and dehydration after days at sea.

The cubs were transferred to a Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) facility for emergency treatment. Despite intensive care, two cubs died within 24 hours, and two others remain in critical condition.

“The cubs were in very poor condition,” said Laurie Marker, founder of CCF. “One died only a few hours after arriving, another the next day. Two remain critical, but seven are responding to treatment.”

Marker warned that the illegal trade in cheetahs, driven largely by demand for exotic pets in the Gulf states, is threatening the species with extinction.

“Cheetahs are not pets,” she said. “They are wild animals that play a vital role in ecosystems. With fewer than 7,000 left in the wild, we cannot afford to lose a single one.”

Somaliland, a self-declared republic that broke away from Somalia in 1991, has emerged as a key transit point for wildlife traffickers smuggling cheetahs and leopards to wealthy Gulf buyers. The lack of international recognition and limited enforcement capacity has made its coastline a favored route for illegal shipments.

Authorities have stepped up enforcement in recent months. In August, police rescued ten additional cheetah cubs destined for export, underscoring the persistence of the trade.

Conservationists warn that removing apex predators like cheetahs from their natural habitats undermines regional biodiversity. “Taking predators out of the wild disrupts prey populations and damages entire ecosystems,” Marker said.

The Cheetah Conservation Fund, which now shelters 128 rescued cheetahs, works with Somaliland’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to rehabilitate trafficked animals. While some cubs recover enough for possible reintroduction, most remain too weak or dependent on humans to survive independently.

Efforts to curb the trade remain hampered by Somaliland’s political isolation, which limits access to global conservation funding and enforcement networks. However, local authorities have intensified cooperation with NGOs to raise awareness and dismantle smuggling routes.