Image Credit: © Marcy Mendelson / M. Mendelson Media 2024
International Cheetah Day
International Cheetah Day
Dec 4, 2024
"There are only an estimated 6,500 adult cheetahs left in the wild." - TRAFFIC
In celebration of International Cheetah Day 2024, we’re shining a light on a crucial situation.
The Illegal Pet Trade of Cheetahs
Marcy Mendelson, Director of The Last Cheetahs of Solitaire, conducted her Masters research on the role of women in the illegal wildlife trade, focusing on the smuggling of cheetahs from East Africa in and through Somaliland, across the gulf of Yemen to buyers in the Gulf States.
As the first study of its kind to investigate and critically examine the intersection between women’s societal position and the smuggling of cheetahs in Africa, her findings discovered that women’s roles are overlooked during seizures and questioning. Her findings highlight the need to recognize and promote women’s roles in enhancing community communication and engagement in conservation efforts. These roles should be integrated into existing strategies to better protect wildlife in the region, fostering more effective and locally driven solutions.
Unfortunately, the illegal pet trade hasn’t slowed and the urgent action of law enforcement is needed, as is the public’s help to draw attention to this issue.
This is where you, the reader, can make a difference. When you see social media posts of pet cheetahs, report them to the platform. Do not engage with the promotion of cub interactions or ‘cute’ cheetah pet videos.
If we can stop the demand we can stop the trade.
Do you love to see cheetah videos in your social media feeds?
You Can Make a Difference:
Report social media posts of pet cheetahs.
Avoid engaging with cub interaction videos.
Only like, share & follow accounts that publish videos of cheetahs in the wild.
Don’t give smugglers a chance to promote their trade online!
Investigative NGOs like TRAFFIC and IFAW, as well as the Cheetah Conservation Fund, have been active toward halting the smuggling trade from every angle. On this International Cheetah Day we applaud their ongoing efforts:
The Global Cheetah Summit Report
TRAFFIC Report on the Live Cheetah Trade
"There are only an estimated 6,500 adult cheetahs left in the wild." - TRAFFIC
In celebration of International Cheetah Day 2024, we’re shining a light on a crucial situation.
The Illegal Pet Trade of Cheetahs
Marcy Mendelson, Director of The Last Cheetahs of Solitaire, conducted her Masters research on the role of women in the illegal wildlife trade, focusing on the smuggling of cheetahs from East Africa in and through Somaliland, across the gulf of Yemen to buyers in the Gulf States.
As the first study of its kind to investigate and critically examine the intersection between women’s societal position and the smuggling of cheetahs in Africa, her findings discovered that women’s roles are overlooked during seizures and questioning. Her findings highlight the need to recognize and promote women’s roles in enhancing community communication and engagement in conservation efforts. These roles should be integrated into existing strategies to better protect wildlife in the region, fostering more effective and locally driven solutions.
Unfortunately, the illegal pet trade hasn’t slowed and the urgent action of law enforcement is needed, as is the public’s help to draw attention to this issue.
This is where you, the reader, can make a difference. When you see social media posts of pet cheetahs, report them to the platform. Do not engage with the promotion of cub interactions or ‘cute’ cheetah pet videos.
If we can stop the demand we can stop the trade.
Do you love to see cheetah videos in your social media feeds?
You Can Make a Difference:
Report social media posts of pet cheetahs.
Avoid engaging with cub interaction videos.
Only like, share & follow accounts that publish videos of cheetahs in the wild.
Don’t give smugglers a chance to promote their trade online!
Investigative NGOs like TRAFFIC and IFAW, as well as the Cheetah Conservation Fund, have been active toward halting the smuggling trade from every angle. On this International Cheetah Day we applaud their ongoing efforts:
The Global Cheetah Summit Report
TRAFFIC Report on the Live Cheetah Trade