Cheetahs are beautiful and magnificent. But, this is what is getting them killed by people who are murderously ignorant and selfish. Check out https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/28/africa/somaliland-cheetahs-gulf-intl/index.html - people are again treating animals as props and toys and not living, breathing animals that are deserving of admiration from a distance and respect for nature at its best.
People are killing cheetahs out of vanity and of course, the animal smugglers are more than happy to provide the cubs for a price.
Google Namibia's Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF). I serve on their board of directors in Namibia and I urge anyone reading this to find a way to support their work, financially or by educating yourselves and your circle of family and friends or by advocating for tighters laws against people having cheetahs as 'pets'.
For those planning a visit to Namibia, make sure you go to the CCF headquarters outside of Otjiwarongo (about 2.5 hr drive from Windhoek). They have high-level tourist accommodation at their vast education and training facility. Cheetah research, medical care, rehoming projects, and other wildlife programs are underway. Visit there to support the work of CCF. They have a great dairy and products from herds of special sheep and goats. They sell bush blocks made from compressed brush and invasive flora cleared from the land sustainably. This is to be used instead of chopping down trees for cooking or campfires at night. This is a part of their income-generating effort that helps finance their very important work.
CCF trains the world-famous Anatolian sheepdogs and gives them to farmers to try to stop the landowners from shooting cheetahs that may threaten their herds. The sheepdogs are a deterrent to the cheetah predation. This is a must-see stop on a tour of Namibia. Check out CCF online and make a plan!
Let's strangle the market for these glorious animals (and others that are illegally smuggled) and then the poachers and animal stealers won't make any money, so they will stop.
