A Palm Desert zoo announced Tuesday that its team of experienced animal care professionals will depart for Somaliland this week to assist in the care of cheetah cubs recently rescued from wildlife traffickers.
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens was called upon by its longtime conservation partner, the Cheetah Conservation Fund, following the confiscation of very young cubs from traffickers in the East African territory.
The cubs are part of the illegal trade funneling wild cheetahs from Africa to the Gulf states, where they are sold as exotic pets and status symbols “for the ultra-rich,” according to the organization. The CCF operates a facility in Somaliland dedicated to housing and rehabilitating cheetahs seized from this trafficking pipeline.
Cheetahs are listed as “vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, with fewer than 7,500 remaining in the wild. According to CCF, an estimated 300 to 500 cheetah cubs are trafficked from Somaliland each year. Many die in transit, and those that survive often live short, unhealthy lives in private ownership.
This marks the second time The Living Desert has sent staff to Somaliland. A similar team was dispatched three years ago to help care for an influx of rescued cheetahs. The current mission, leaving on July 18, highlights the zoo’s continued commitment to global wildlife conservation and protecting one of Africa’s most endangered species.
“This is a story about wildlife trafficking to satiate human greed, and a zoo and conservation organization committed to fighting it,” officials said in a statement, “and about the young animal professionals willing to enter a red-flag danger zone to protect wildlife in need.”
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is a nonprofit and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, maintaining high standards in animal care, conservation, and public education. Located at 47900 Portola Ave. in Palm Desert, the zoo has been a cornerstone of the Palm Springs area for more than 50 years. For more information, visit www.LivingDesert.org.
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