Eleven cheetah cubs were rescued from illegal trade in Somaliland in what a conservationist described on Thursday as \u201cone of the largest confiscations of the species.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cubs were packed in bags that resembled sacks of potatoes and were being transported in a small dhow off the Somaliland coast at Berbera when the local coast guard intercepted them on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Two locals and three Yemenis were arrested during the rescue operation, and the cheetahs were taken to a rescue centre owned by the Cheetah Conservation Fund, or CCF.<\/p>\n
Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, is a major transit hub for the illegal wildlife trade. Hundreds of cheetahs and leopards from the Horn of Africa have been transported to Gulf countries through the Gulf of Aden.<\/p>\n
Possession of wildlife is illegal in Somaliland, and police often crack down on suspected traders. In August, local authorities arrested two people and rescued another 10 cheetah cubs that were destined for the Gulf. CCF founder Laurie Marker said the rescued cubs were \u201cvery malnourished\u201d and were being reintroduced to food slowly, starting with fluids.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cubs were in very poor condition,” she said. “One died only a few hours after arriving at CCF\u2019s centre, although in ICU and critical care administered. Another died the next day under same conditions. Two others are in critical care, one of which is in very bad state. The other seven are responding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marker, whose centre now has 128 rescued cheetahs, said the illegal trade in cheetahs was driving the species into extinction.<\/p>\n