In a heartwarming yet complex tale of human-wildlife interaction, a Kenyan family from Wajir County has shared their extraordinary journey of raising an orphaned cheetah cub. The cub was discovered beside its deceased mother, and the family, led by Bisharo Abdirahman Omar and Rashid Abdi Hussein, decided to nurture it despite opposition from their livestock-rearing neighbors. The Somali-speaking nomadic community, heavily reliant on livestock, often views predators like cheetahs as threats. However, the family chose compassion over convenience, caring for the cub for over two years, during which it became an integral part of their household. They fed it milk via a syringe initially and later transitioned to meat, sacrificing 15 sheep to sustain the growing cheetah. Their efforts earned praise from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), though the agency emphasized that keeping wild animals as pets is illegal. The cheetah has since been relocated to the Nairobi Safari Walk for professional care. This story sheds light on the broader crisis facing cheetahs in northeastern Kenya, where poaching, poisoning, and trafficking are rampant. According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, hundreds of cheetah cubs are smuggled annually from the Horn of Africa to the Gulf States. The family’s refusal to sell the cub, despite lucrative offers, underscores their commitment to wildlife protection and raises awareness about the urgent need for conservation efforts.
‘It became one of the children’ – Kenyan family on adopting orphaned cheetah cub
