Rescued cheetahs find refuge in Somaliland amid trafficking crisis

Inside a guarded sanctuary on the savannah, 127 rescued cheetahs pace, stretch and play — survivors of a brutal illegal trade that is pushing the species toward the brink.

Taken from the wild as cubs and destined for the pet market in the Gulf, many are the only ones to endure a journey where most die before reaching their destination.

A growing sanctuary

Run by the Cheetah Conservation Fund, the centre now shelters a significant share of the region’s remaining cheetahs.

Founder Dr Laurie Marker says the number of rescues has surged, with dozens of cubs arriving in the past year alone — a sharp rise from previous years.

A deadly trade

Across the Horn of Africa, only around 600 cheetahs remain in the wild.

Many are captured in Somaliland and neighbouring Ethiopia, then trafficked across the Gulf of Aden.

Experts say for every cub that reaches buyers, several others perish along the way.

“It breaks my heart,” Marker says, warning that cheetahs are wild animals vital to ecosystems — not pets.

Fighting back

Authorities are stepping up enforcement. Somaliland’s coast guard says it has arrested smugglers and intercepted trafficked animals in recent years.

Uncertain future

With no national parks in Somaliland, efforts are underway to create protected areas where cheetahs could one day return to the wild.

Until then, conservationists warn the species faces a fragile future — with some populations at risk of disappearing altogether.