San Diego Humane Society Assists Cheetah Conservation Fund
San Diego Humane Society is celebrating International Cheetah Day on Dec. 4 by announcing SDHS’s assistance with cheetah conservation efforts in Africa. SDHS Escondido Campus Director Andy Blue recently returned from a trip to Somaliland, where he assisted the Cheetah Conservation Fund with caring for orphaned cheetah cubs.
Blue brought critical supplies such as kitten milk replacer, canned food, medications, syringes, needles and other medical instruments provided by SDHS, San Diego Zoo Global, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and The Wilds in Ohio. In addition to providing care for the cubs, Blue oversaw the construction of an additional facility to accommodate the animals.
It is estimated that only about 7,000 cheetahs are left in the wild. They are listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, but many scientists are calling for the species to be declared endangered. Cheetah cubs are often captured and smuggled from Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia and then sent primarily to countries in the Middle East where there is lax law enforcement.
Blue represented SDHS while volunteering in Somaliland, and it is part of SDHS’s strategic plan to support the global animal welfare movement.
Published: December 4, 2019