In late July 2020, two cheetah cubs were rescued near Borama, a Somaliland city close to the Ethiopian border, after enduring 25 days in the hands of wildlife traffickers. The cubs were discovered severely dehydrated and underweight, requiring immediate intervention from local community members until a proper rescue team arrived. This case highlights the typical trafficking route from Ethiopia across the porous 500-mile border into Somaliland, where cubs are often taken from mothers in the wild by opportunistic herders or dedicated poachers. With an estimated price of US$200-300 in Somaliland, these cubs could have fetched up to US$15,000 in Gulf state markets had they survived the treacherous journey – though mortality rates exceed 60% during transport.