KWS investigates Somalia Lion cub smuggling ring

Preliminary investigations by officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service reveal that a vicious lion cub smuggling ring exists in the war ravaged Somalia.

The ring which operates along the Kenya Somalia border and the port town of Kisimayu, is said to be financed by certain unscrupulous employees of the International NGO’s working in the war torn Somalia in cahoots with international Wildlife smugglers who then sell the cubs in Europe as pets.

Confirming the findings of the intensive KWS investigations into these illegal activities, Radu Sigheti, the chief photographer with Reuters in Nairobi observed, “In Romania where I come from, local photographers have lion cubs as pets that they use to entice their prospective customers with."

According to Radu, “This is a sick practice, how can animals that are used to high temperatures be perpetually exposed to the cold of Romania and once they have grown old they are simply eliminated!".

Investigations into the lion cub smuggling racket was rolled out in January 2006, when reports from KWS informers and communities living along the Kenyan/Somalia border reported suspicious activities evolving along the border town of Har Har.

“Our sources tipped us of strange events happening along the border, way back in January and their suspicions were proved true when our investigators in Garrisa revealed that they were following the trails of some Somalia militiamen who were said to have smuggled three lion cubs,” reveals Mutwiwa, Warden Garrisa.

According to David Mutwiwa, “We had never imagined that lions would be smuggled out of Kenya to be kept as pets, and though the information got us by surprise, we swung into action gathering intelligence both on the Kenya and the Somalia side as to the illegal trade in wildlife species and in the process we discovered the existence of an illegal cartel operating in Somali and trading illegally in wildlife species.

“Our investigations revealed that once a cub has been smuggled into Somalia, its incisors are first plucked and then it's sold for way between $150 and $300. The cubs are then smuggled into Europe where they definitely fetch more.”

The recovery recently of one of the lion cubs that had been smuggled into Somalia, is a sigh of relief to Mutwiwa and his Garrisa team, “though they had kept this cub poorly and even had its incisors removed, we are happy because its trail has led us to the den of international culprits working under the guise of International NGO’s in Somali while fleecing Kenya of its critical wildlife resources.

The cub which is currently housed at the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, after it was flown into the City via Daadab, is showing clear signs of recovery. ‘”We are optimistic that it will recover, but unfortunately because of the treatment it received at the hands of the militiamen and the smugglers, it will never be returned into the wild where it belongs,” Richard Obanda, Senior Warden in charge of the Nairobi animal Orphanage noted.

The Kenya Wildlife Service has issued a high alert at all Kenyan border points and especially the Kenya/Somali border, “This kind of illegal trade must be stopped at all costs and we have asked our security officers, the local administration and all the other friendly forces to aid us in fighting this kind of criminal activities,” revealed Connie Maina, KWS Head of Communications.

“The suffering little cub under the care of Nairobi Animal Orphanage epitomizes the cruelty of those of us who find pleasure in afflicted vulnerable wild animals, and we urge the public to support us with information about such activities so that we all can put a stop to cruelty against wildlife,” she sumised.