One hour of care for a rescued cheetah cub in Somaliland

Cheetahs are characterized by their elegant physique, which enables them to sprint quickly. The black tear stripes that run from the eyes to the corners of the mouth and protect them from bright sunlight are a distinctive identifying feature. Cheetahs were once widespread in Africa, the Middle East, the Indian peninsula and parts of Central Asia, but today they are found almost exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa. There are only about 7,000 adult cheetahs left in the wild worldwide. The cheetah is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Africa's most endangered big cats are threatened by the illegal wildlife trade, human-wildlife conflict and habitat loss. Wildlife traffickers target young cheetahs to sell them illegally as pets in street markets or online. One of the main smuggling routes for young cheetahs runs through Somaliland (Bale, 2021). The AGA's partner organization, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), has been committed to protecting cheetahs in Somaliland since 2011. It trains authorities in how to deal with rescued animals and, with the help of the AGA, has set up three cheetah rescue centers. The project works with local communities and trains people in cheetah conservation. Since the CCF was able to convince Somaliland's Environment Minister to support cheetah conservation, there has been an increase in cheetah confiscations. Although the cheetah trade declined after a large smuggling ring was broken up in 2020, 15 animals were rescued again in March 2022. Over 70 rescued cheetahs are currently being cared for in the rescue center.