‘It was one of the children’

A Kenyan family has told the BBC how they adopted a Cheetah Cub after finding it lying next to its dead mother and started as one of their own.

However, their neighbors in the north of Wajir County are not happy to see the wild animal being raised so much.

“Many people immediately told us to remove the cub so we wouldn’t harm the livestock. We didn’t do that because it seemed unreasonable,” said Bisharo AbDRar.

The reaction was unsurprising as the Somali-speaking nomadic community earn their living by raising livestock, which are often threatened by predators such as cheetahs, leopards, lions, and hyenas.

“We didn’t know it wouldn’t benefit us in any way, like livestock,” said Rashid Abdi Hussein, a 45-year-old father of 10.

“But I decided that since people are killing these animals, maybe we should raise them instead and be different.”

The family cared for the Cub for two years and three months, where it became part of the family.

“This animal was difficult at first, but in the end, it became one and became one of the children,” she said.

Their family fed the cub milk by using a syringe at first, then the old enough meat.

“We made a huge sacrifice – from the day I freed us, I slaughtered 15 sheep to feed the cheetah,” Mr Hussein told the BBC.

The family has been praised by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for their generosity in caring for an animal that is often killed or trafficked.

Sharmaarke Mohamed, the head of the Northeast Conservancy Association (NECA), said cheetahs and wild animals in North Eastern Kenya are facing a growing problem that has been largely ignored.

“Cheetahs are currently facing a very serious threat, along with many other wild animals,” he said.

“This little heaven that has just found orphans, its mother has been killed or poisoned,” he said.

According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, trafficking of baby Cheetahs is widespread in the region, with active trafficking routes running through northern Kenya, Eastern Ethiopia and Somalia.

The organization estimates that between 200 and 300 cheetah cubs are sent to the Horn of Africa each year, most of them transported to Yemen and distributed across the country.

Ms. Omar said the family approached people who wanted to buy a small cheetah but refused to sell it.

“While we were taking care of it, there were people who gave us money. Some even said they would pay 20,000 shillings ($155; £115),” he told the BBC.

“Some suggested that we sell goats, but we refused because we were part of the family.”

While KWS commended the family for caring for the cheetah, it pointed out that keeping wild animals as pets is against the law.

“We greatly appreciate the kindness of Good Samaritan and remind all Kenyans that true solidarity means protecting wildlife,” the agency said.

A young Cheetah is now being cared for at Nairobi Safari Walk.

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