Cheetah smuggling 'driving species towards extinction'
Demand for cheetahs as luxury pets in the Middle East is threatening wild populations

The future of cheetahs in the wild is under threat as a result of cubs being smuggled into the Middle East to feed the demand for exotic pets, new research suggests.
The Convention on the Trade of Endangered Species (Cites) found that almost two-thirds of smuggled cheetah cubs die in transit.
According to the Guardian, the study revealed that large numbers of cheetah cubs are being taken from the Horn of Africa to be "trafficked by boat from Somalia to Yemen and then by road into the Gulf states".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The wild cheetah population in the Horn of Africa "numbers about 2,500" large cats, the paper says, and "fewer than 10,000 [wild cheetahs] remain" worldwide.
Cheetah smuggling in Africa, Asia, and Iran has risen in recent years because of demand for big cats as luxury pets in Gulf countries.
The Cites study, which includes photos of domesticated cheetahs being walked on leashes and sitting in car passenger seats, says "the keeping of big cats in residential areas across the Arabian peninsula poses serious environmental and safety risks, both to people as well as the cats".
Cites calls for stronger international cooperation between nations with high smuggling rates.
Nick Miller, a contributor to the report, told The Guardian he was "cautiously optimistic" that a working group formed in response to the problem "would curb the illegal trade in cheetahs with better law enforcement".
Cites' head of science, David Morgan, said that Gulf nations were ready to confront the issue. "Middle Eastern countries spoke up very clearly and this has been a positive development," he said. "Qatar, the Emirates, Kuwait all recognised the problem."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Critics' choice: Reimagined Mexican-American fare
Feature A shape-shifting dining experience, an evolving 50-year-old restaurant, and Jalisco-style recipes
-
Here We Are: Stephen Sondheim's 'utterly absorbing' final musical
The Week Recommends The musical theatre legend's last work is 'witty, wry and suddenly wise'
-
The Trial: 'sharp' legal drama with a 'clever' script
The Week Recommends Channel 5's one-off show imagines a near future where parents face trial for their children's crimes
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical