Taiwan Dedicated to Supporting the Cheetah Conservation in Somaliland

Efforts show Taiwan is a responsible member of global community

Taiwan will send volunteers to Somaliland for a cheetah conservation initiative with the inking of an agreement between the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) and the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) on Sunday (Dec. 4).

The agreement lays the foundation for volunteer work to promote cheetah conservation while raising awareness about the plight of the animal. It also seeks to rally support for cheetah conservation and the protection of global biodiversity.

This marks yet another campaign by Taiwan in support of preserving natural resources in Somaliland, which is located in the Horn of Africa. The Council of Agriculture has funded an educational program at a CCF-founded conservation park, according to the Taiwan Representative Office in Somaliland.

The population of cheetahs has dwindled to 7,500 globally due to illegal trade including the poaching and trafficking of cubs. The activity is rampant in the Horn of Africa, threatening the survival of the species, said the office.

The conservation effort is a commitment to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Taiwan has also invested resources in the protection of endangered wild animals including the Formosan Black Bear and leopard cats, it added.