Exploitation of Leopards in Yemen

Photograph by Tarim Contin-Kennedy

Possibly the biggest threat to Yemen's National Animal is the sale of captive animals to wealthy animal collectors in neighboring countries.  Because of the extreme rarity of Arabian leopards and the large sums of money exhanged during their sale, it is difficult to document this illegal trade.  However, the Yemeni market for captive leopards and leopard skins from East Africa is well-documented in spite of the fact that all leopard subspecies are CITES Appendix I listed, the trade of live leopards and their parts is strictly regulated, and Yemen is a signatory to CITES.  Other carnivores including lions and cheetahs, both also CITES "protected," are sometimes traded in Yemen.  Anyone with any knowledge and/or photographs of the illegal wildlife trade in Yemen is asked to write to us at contact@yemenileopard.org