Saving Wild Cheetahs

By Heather Down, Animal Care Curator

Africa’s fastest cat is in a race against extinction. Cheetahs have vanished from over 90% of their historic natural range in Africa with the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species estimating only 7,100 remaining in the wild today. Currently, cheetah populations are facing a multifaceted and complex fight for survival from three main threats: human-wildlife conflict, loss of habitat and loss of prey, and the illegal wildlife trade.

ANSWERING THE CALL

The Living Desert team in Hargeisa, Somaliland. From left to right: Morgan Dustin, Veterinary Technician; Victoria Fosdick, Animal Care Keeper; Elizabeth Hiner, Animal Care Keeper; Heather Down, Animal Care Curator

In late Spring 2022, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens responded to one of our long-term conservation partners, Cheetah Conservation Fund’s (CCF), desperate call for help after receiving a surge of very young cheetah cubs confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade that joined their existing 90 nonreleasable cheetahs and one African leopard who had survived trafficking attempts. After a few short weeks of logistics and travel planning, passport checks, and supplies procurement, The Living Desert’s all-female team consisting of two animal care keepers, a veterinary technician, and an animal care curator were ready to depart for Hargeisa, Somaliland, Africa from our California desert.

With suitcases and crates filled with supplies like vital medications and neonatal formula, along with some familiar snacks and goodies for the CCF veterinary and animal care staff, The Living Desert team arrived in Somaliland ready to go to work. With a familiar standard of care, the team seamlessly assumed a wide variety of animal care tasks, including feeding and preparing meals, administering medication, monitoring the overall health, behavior, and wellbeing, record-keeping, as well as offering enriching experiences and socialization of the animals. Incredibly, many of these young, confiscated cheetahs had already been trained to participate in their own health care, including receiving injections, crating, and accepting touch for body condition assessment, all of which was imperative to their recovery.

The team embraced the opportunity from the beginning. Working with limited resources including water, construction materials, and essential supplies brought the group together to work collaboratively and creatively. Meal preparation included full day butchering of a half dozen whole camels and many goat carcasses to prepare weekly diets, a marked shift from the convenience of meal preparation at home. The Living Desert’s team made the most of the experience working day shifts that rolled into night shifts for round the clock cub feedings, care, and monitoring. In the off-time, there was the incredible opportunity to share stories and experiences with new teammates from around the world. And, most impactful were the conversations with the Hargesian locals and learning about their perspectives about wildlife in this community.

After two weeks of tireless work and dedication, it was time to return home. Not only did the team return home full of knowledge and new experiences, but with a renewed passion to share the urgent crisis that is facing a multitude of species. Globally, illegal wildlife trafficking is estimated to be a $10 billion business annually — and all of it stems from taking animals and plants from nature and selling them to meet consumer demand. Cheetahs, rhinos, pangolins, sharks, ivory, succulents, and countless other plants and animals are facing this very real threat. Help us stop this nefarious trade.

Veterinary technician, Morgan Dustin, feeds a six-week-old cheetah cub. The young, malnourished cubs require around the clock critical care.

Where is Somaliland?

Located in the Horn of Africa, Somaliland is located on the east coast of Africa and is a self-declared sovereign state that is recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia by the international community. Its proximity to the Middle East, however, makes it a key area of wildlife trafficking fueled by the illegal pet trade.

THE CHEETAH’S RACE AGAINST EXTINCTION

Roughly 90% of cheetahs in Africa live outside of protected wildlife reserves on private farmlands because they are excluded by the other larger predators inside protected areas. Perceived as a threat to a farmer’s livestock and livelihood, farmers cope with this predation by protecting their resources — that most often means killing the cheetah or making a quick profit by stealing cubs to be smuggled into the exotic pet trade fueled by demand in the Middle East.

Human-wildlife conflict and the role it plays as a driver and root cause of illegal trade is an international crisis that has devastating impacts to both animals and humans. For cheetahs, the poaching of cheetah cubs to meet the crushing demand for the illegal pet trade poses a serious threat to the future of the species. CCF estimates that 300 cheetah cubs a year are taken from the wild, primarily from the Horn of Africa, to be sold as pets in the Arabian Peninsula.

Veterinary technician, Morgan Dustin, treats a malnourished and emaciated 4-month-old cheetah cub.

Most threats to wildlife are human induced, and as such, conservationists most often focus their efforts on people — creating positive human behavior change, promoting human-wildlife coexistence, and minimizing conflict. The best way to protect wildlife is to protect local communities and their livestock from predators. As community based conservation work continues to stop the trade, we must also care for the animals that are directly affected by the illegal wildlife trade.

Trafficked cheetah cubs are often only weeks old when stolen from their mothers. They usually suffer from improper care by their captors and often become severely medically compromised requiring extensive, and often lifelong treatment for diseases, injury, and malnutrition resulting in them not being releasable.

Currently there are over 100 animals at CCF Somaliland being provided a second chance at life, but there are another 300 known animals that haven’t been so fortunate. Wildlife trafficking is fueled by the demand for wildlife and wildlife products and is driving many species to the brink of extinction. It is critical work to help stop the wildlife trade — and it is up to all of us.

Be a smart shopper when you travel internationally — know where your souvenirs are coming from. Avoid sharing or engaging with images or videos that promote the illegal pet trade — including photos and videos of people interacting with baby wildlife. Report illegal activities — with all of us working together, we can make a difference for the future of these animals.

Animal Care Curator, Heather Down, works on socializing a 4-year-old cheetah via grooming.

What is Cheetah Conservation Fund?

Led by renowned cheetah conservationist, Dr. Laurie Marker, CCF is a mutli-faceted organization that works to benefit the entire ecosystem in which cheetahs live and develop programs that support wild cheetah populations and the human communities that share the landscape. The Living Desert has partnered with CCF for over 20 years.

Your generosity to The Living Desert helps make fieldconservation projects like this one possible. Thank you for your continued support.

A CCF veterinarian palpating a cub to assess body condition upon intake.

CARING FOR WILDLIFE

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens brought to CCF Somaliland hard working hands conditioned to work in arid desert temperatures, along with fresh perspectives and authentic enthusiasm. The team served as ambassadors to the local community and learned so much about cheetahs and the care of cheetahs in a short time frame. Working in Somaliland offered real world international field experience including knowledge exchange with staff and locals while providing professional support. The most uniquely impactful experience was the inside perspective of one of the biggest challenges we face as conservationists — the illegal wildlife trade.