BANGKOK, THAILAND (March 8, 2013) The Wildlife Conservation Society, Zoological Society of London, and Endangered Wildlife Trust have joined representatives from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), currently meeting in Bangkok, to highlight the plight of wild cheetahs threatened by the illegal pet trade.
The three African nations were spurred into action due to growing concern for declining eastern Africa cheetah populations - currently thought to be the source for smugglers. The CITES Conference of the Parties has today officially accepted the proposal to commission the first serious study of the cheetah trade that should form the basis for future conservation action.
Each year many cheetahs are illegally taken from the wild. In 2011, the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT) recorded 27 known cases involving the trafficking of 70 cheetahs within a 12-month period, though conservationists believe total figures are much higher.
Most of the known cases of smuggled cheetahs involve small cubs because they are easier to handle and tame. More than half are believed to die in transit, and scientists fear that the trade in live animals could be impacting the survival of the cheetah populations in the Horn of Africa.
Dr. Nick Mitchell of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and said: "Cheetahs are already extinct in many countries, and in eastern Africa resident populations are known to exist in just 6 percent of their estimated historical range. Cheetahs only occur at very low density numbers in the wild so the removal of individual animals to supply a demand for exotic pets could have significant consequences for the survival of those populations."
Aside from the illegal wildlife trade, cheetahs face multiple threats ranging from the loss of their habitat to persecution by farmer
'/>"/>
| Contact: Stephen Sautner ssautner@wcs.org 718-220-3682 Wildlife Conservation Society Source:Eurekalert |
Related biology news :
1. Conservationists to create blueprint for saving Malaysias elephants
2. News for conservationists: Scientists challenge ideas about natural habitats and species diversity
3. CITES: Crucial for conserving sharks and rays
4. Increasing water scarcity in Californias Bay-Delta will necessitate trade-offs; hard decisions needed to balance various environmental risks
5. Could cap and trade for water solve problems facing the United States largest rivers?
6. PuraMed BioScience®, Inc., Launches a Marketing Blitz for LipiGesic® M, Its Clinically-Tested Migraine Pain Reliever in the Denver, CO Region to Coincide with the NACDSs Marketplace 2012 Trade Convention
7. Ethical trade: Good intentions go to waste
8. International regulation curbs illegal trade of caviar
9. Feinstein Institute receives $1 million grant to study impact of World Trade Center attacks on responders
10. Celladon Corporation Receives Notice of Allowance from United States Patent and Trademark Office
11. How cheetahs outpace greyhounds
 |
| Copyright © 2003-2012 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |