Country – Ethiopia 
Little is known of the Northeast African subspecies of cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii, in its wild and natural environment, and this project aims to increase our understanding of the distribution and threats facing the subspecies, and thus its conservation status. The illegal trade in live cheetah is one of the major threats to the existence of the cheetah population in the Horn of Africa, especially the cubs which are prized as pets in the Middle East. Since 2012 the CCI has been active in addressing this illegal trade through collaborative efforts within the CITES forum, but the issue has always been plagued by a lack of data that leaves any international collaborative efforts open to resistance from sceptics.
This project therefore brings a collaboration between the CCI and the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) and Kabridahar University to conduct a questionnaire survey to bring to light the presence / absence of cheetah in the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia, believed to be a major source for the illegal trade. If the survey can bring insights into impact of the illegal trade on the wild population, and the modus operandii of cheetah traffickers, it will be a significant step in the struggle to end it.
- Cheetah Survey in the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia
- Seeking to identify the extent of current cheetah range, and the threats to it’s existence, such as the illegal wildlife trade, and persecution from pastoralists.
