Call to let 'captive cheetahs' in UAE go wild

Published Monday, June 03, 2013

By Majorie van Leijen

Over the past 100 years, the world’s cheetah population has fallen by 90 per cent -- from 100,000 to 10,000 -- and the cheetah is now an endangered species.

Ten per cent of the world’s cheetah population is found in the Middle East. A good enough reason to educate the region’s people on how to best look after this popular cat species, thinks Laurie Marker, founder and executive director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF).

Reza Khan, Director of Dubai Zoo and Wildlife Specialist for Zoo Management at Dubai Municipality, said his facility is currently not housing any cheetahs, nor will it be able to do so as the zoo does not have the facilities to keep them.

“We have not received any cheetahs in the past ten years,” he said on the sidelines of the lecture given by Laurie on Sunday in Dubai Munipality’s City Hall.

A cheetah needs to run. It needs space, as well as the right diet and healthcare. Keeping a cheetah requires knowledge, points out Laurie.

Yet many cheetahs are kept in private houses, backyards or reservoirs inadequate for its decent living. “I think many people would like to do it right, but simply do not know how to do it right. Our aim is to educate so we can secure the survival of this endangered species.

“Space is very important. The cheetah is the fastest land mammal; it can reach speeds of 70mph. Speed is its main advantage, and its body is built to support this quality. So cheetahs need regular exercise,” Laurie says to indicate one of the challenges cheetahs in captivity face.

Diet is another important factor. For example, chicken is not good for the cheetah, she points out, and healthcare needs must be met where a cheetah is kept.

“There is a greater potential of disease outbreak in small spaces,” says Laurie, pointing out that cheetahs are vulnerable to diseases such as gastritis and feline infectious peritonitis, which is caused by a feline corona virus.

With the aim of monitoring the world cheetah population, Laurie has set up the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

Aware of the existence of captive cheetahs, CCF develops breeding programs, trying to maximise the genetic viability of the total captive population.

“Every cheetah in the UAE should be registered,” agrees Reza. “We need a system that makes it mandatory to register every cheetah, also the cheetahs that are kept as pets in private residences.”

When it comes to individual owners, Laurie suggests that this group could be targeted through veterinary clinics, which often see many exotic cat species pass through them. However, ideally cheetahs should not be kept as pets at all, thinks Laurie.

“Illegal trafficking is one of the major challenges that the worldwide cheetah population faces. For every cheetah that makes it to the pet store, five cubs die.

“People should not take cheetahs from the wild. They should not support the illegal trade in cheetahs,” she emphasises.

However, cheetahs in captivity can help in the survival of the big cat’s population when done correctly, she points out.

“The advantages are that the species can be studied, bred and diversified.”

For more information on the cheetah, you can visit the CCF website: https://www.cheetah.org/?nd=home

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