Cheetahs

Cheetah cubs are trafficked out of Africa to feed a growing demand for these illegal “pets” in the Middle East. A single cheetah may cost as much as $10,000. The illegal trade in live cheetahs is thought to have the most negative impact on wild populations in East Africa, and the capture and trade in cheetahs was a significant reason why they disappeared from large portions of their historic range in Asia.

• Read about Born Free’s 2012 rescue of four cheetah cubs and their rehoming at Ensessa Kotteh: Born Free’s Wildlife Rescue, Conservation, and Education Centre in Ethiopia
• Watch a video of three young cheetahs who arrived at Ensessa Kotteh in 2015 following a dramatic rescue mission by Born Free Ethiopia and partners at the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA).
• Learn about Born Free’s work to stop the keeping and exploitation of exotic animals in the U.S.
• Read Downloading Cruelty: An Investigation into the Online Sales of Exotic Pets in the U.S. (2016), Born Free USA’s report that provides an overview and analysis of the volume of online exotic pet sales domestically.
• Born Free also advocates for legislation to protect cheetahs from harm, including H.R. 1818: The Big Cat Public Safety Act. This bill would amend the Captive Wildlife Safety Act to prohibit the private possession and breeding of big cats. There are exemptions for larger facilities such as zoos that meet certain requirements, sanctuaries, and universities. Anyone who currently owns big cats would be allowed to keep them, but would need to register them with the government.

When cheetahs kill livestock, farmers often capture and/or kill them in retaliation. Cheetahs are also perceived as competitors with game farmers for game offtake.

Cheetahs suffer a loss of wild prey (like antelopes, gazelles, impalas, and warthogs) due to hunting.

Even when cheetahs are not the primary targets for bushmeat traps, they may accidentally get caught in snares. This accidental snaring can threaten cheetah subpopulations.

Born Free has worked for years under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to call attention to the plight of cheetahs. CITES approved a number of recommendations designed to improve law enforcement to stop the trade in cheetahs, including the development of a “cheetah tool kit” to make it easier to stop illegal trade, as well as measures focused on where to place confiscated live cheetahs. In 2016, Born Free USA helped secure recommendations on the long-term conservation of cheetahs, including efforts to stop their illegal trade.