Tricorache Patricia, Yashphe Shira, Marker Laurie
Illegal Wildlife Trade Expert, Mexico City 11500, Mexico.
Illegal Wildlife Trade Lead, Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), Tel Aviv, Israel.
Data Brief. 2021 Feb 8;35:106848. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.106848. eCollection 2021 Apr.
Cheetahs () are a keystone predator of savanna systems in Africa, yet their populations have dramatically declined due to pressures such as human-wildlife conflict, loss of habitat, and most notably the illegal trade in live cheetah cubs as pets. We provide the most extensive dataset relevant to seized and non-intercepted illegal trade in live cheetahs and cheetah parts for the decade 2010-2019, spanning over 300 sources and 56 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Oceania and North America. It includes 1,884 individual incidents involving at least 4,000 cheetahs or cheetah parts or products likely or confirmed to breach national laws or CITES regulations. While the covert nature of illegal trade of any kind makes it extremely difficult to capture its true volume, we believe that the information contained in this dataset demonstrates the need for a more in-depth look into illegal cheetah trade, including sustainability assessments with emphasis in regions where cheetah populations are small and widely exploited, such as the Horn of Africa, as this dataset suggests. Ultimately, such actions could lead to improved enforcement and legal frameworks, and provide a guide for CITES actions involving international cooperation and demand reduction efforts.
猎豹是非洲稀树草原生态系统中的关键捕食者，然而由于人类与野生动物冲突、栖息地丧失等压力，尤其是非法买卖猎豹幼崽作为宠物，它们的数量急剧下降。我们提供了2010年至2019年这十年间与查获及未被拦截的活体猎豹和猎豹制品非法贸易相关的最广泛数据集，涵盖非洲、中东、亚洲、欧洲、大洋洲和北美的300多个来源及56个国家。它包括1884起单独事件，涉及至少4000只猎豹或猎豹制品或产品，这些很可能或已被证实违反了国家法律或《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》（CITES）的规定。虽然任何形式的非法贸易都具有隐蔽性，极难掌握其真实规模，但我们认为，该数据集中包含的信息表明有必要更深入地研究非法猎豹贸易，包括在猎豹数量稀少且遭到广泛捕猎的地区，如非洲之角，进行可持续性评估，因为本数据集表明了这一点。最终，此类行动可能会加强执法和完善法律框架，并为涉及国际合作和减少需求努力的CITES行动提供指导。
