70% of Online Trade in Cheetahs Happening on Social Media, New Report Finds
A new report released by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, has revealed alarming trends in the online trade of live cheetahs. The report, titled “Online Trade of Live Cheetahs: A Growing Threat to Wild Populations,” highlights the growing pressure on the already at-risk iconic big cat.
According to the report, 70% of the burgeoning online trade in cheetahs is happening on social media platforms. This illegal trade is further exacerbating the threats faced by the species, including climate change, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict.
“Cheetahs already face multiple threats to their survival in the wild, including habitat loss, prey depletion, low genetic diversity, and human-wildlife conflict. It is particularly concerning that an emerging online trade may place further pressure on wild cheetah populations,” says Oliver Wright, TRAFFIC Project Support Officer.
The report also reveals that there are only an estimated 6,500 adult cheetahs left in the wild. The five cheetah subspecies are now only found in 9% of their historical wild range. The species is classified on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM as Vulnerable to extinction and as a CITES Appendix I listed species, the international commercial trade in cheetahs is prohibited.
The report’s authors are calling for greater vigilance and action taken against those selling live species like cheetahs online. The data collected by TRAFFIC shows the telltale markings of a growing trend in the illegal online trade of live cheetahs.
“The results of our online survey are alarming and highlight the need for urgent action to combat this illegal trade,” says Wright.
The survey, which was conducted over six months, unearthed 222 unique URLs, with nearly half of them indicating an intention to trade in live cheetahs. 70% of the URLs were found on social media platforms, while 26% were found on e-commerce platforms and dedicated websites. The remaining links were discovered in online forums or news articles.
The report also raises concerns about the convergence of the illegal pet trade with the trade in other wild species. Of the URLs surveyed, 64% also advertised other potentially illegal exotic pets, including other big cats, reptiles, birds, and primates.
This highlights the urgent need for comprehensive measures to combat the broader issue of wild species trafficking. The report outlines the top five countries with URLs flaunting cheetahs as pets – the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, South Africa, and the United States of America.
“The fact that many of these URLs also advertise other potentially illegal exotic pets is of great concern and highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to tackle the illegal wildlife trade,” says Wright.
In order to understand where action needs to be taken, the report calls for unraveling both legal and illegal trade flows of live cheetahs. According to the CITES Trade Database, South Africa, China, and the United States of America were found to be major importers of live cheetahs from captive-bred populations, primarily destined for zoos.
South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe were found to be major exporters of live cheetahs, with descriptions of captive-bred individuals for zoos, but some were also sourced from wild populations. Discrepancies between TRAFFIC research and CITES Trade data for Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen point towards illegal imports or unregulated captive breeding, both of which pose significant threats to the species’ longevity.
The release of this Briefing follows the First Global Cheetah Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January 2024, which highlighted growing threats to wild cheetah populations. TRAFFIC staff presented this research at the Summit, stimulating important discussions on how to tackle illegal online trade and safeguard wild cheetah populations.
“The Global Cheetah Summit was a great opportunity to showcase this important research and discuss solutions to the online cheetah trafficking issue with experts from the global cheetah conservation community,” concludes Wright.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.