Rearing and selling predators has become a popular hobby among Saudis. They market the animals through the social media networks. People can purchase or sell these animals anywhere in the Kingdom without any license or fear of any monitoring authorities. A major irony is that many of these traders do not have any idea how to take care of these carnivorous animals, thus endangering their lives and those of others. Sameer Al-Sulaimani, a breeder of cheetah, said: "I bought this animal from an individual in Riyadh who offered to sell it through the social media for SR22,000. It's now in my Makkah home. I find enjoyment in looking after this animal." Ezzeddin Al-Osaimi, trainer of predators, said cheetah is classified among cat species and Arabs used to use this animal for hunting. "It's one of the fastest predators with its running speed reaching 120 km per hour. Its weak lung does not allow it to run for a long distance," he told Makkah Arabic daily. "Its value outside the Kingdom is $1,500 and comes from Africa through the various smuggling routes. It is sold through the social media for SR20,000 to SR25,000," he said. By nature cheetahs are carnivores and get their food by killing and eating other animals. It will become dangerous if the owners fail to properly handle the animal during training. It should be trained continuously without interruption, he explained. The cheetah kills its prey by tripping it during the chase, then biting it on the underside of the throat to suffocate it, for the cheetah is not strong enough to break the necks of the four-legged prey it mainly hunts. The bite may also puncture a vital artery in the neck. Then, the cheetah proceeds to devour its catch as quickly as possible before stronger predators take the kill. "Cheetah will be taken for breeding two days after birth and will be given artificial milk for a month. Later it will be fed half-cooked meat. Fully cooked meat does not suit its nature and may quickly become sick," Al-Osaimi said. At this stage it needs two meals; half chicken in the day and another half in the night. When it completes two years a full chicken can be served, he said and urged the public to deal with these animals carefully to avoid dire consequences. "Cheetah has caused a number of painful accidents. I have noticed that some people breed predators more powerful than cheetah like lion and tiger in their homes without any knowledge or experience, ignoring the danger posed by such animals," he pointed out. He said some trainers who own strong and dangerous predators sell them through the social media networks and ordinary people who do not know how to deal with such animals purchase them. He emphasized the need to train predators continuously as they would soon return to their nature once training stops. Some predators need the help of a dog during training as they can quickly imitate dogs during training, he added. "Some foreign countries offer courses to trainers, which will enable them to understand the nature of predators and how to deal with them safely and effectively," he said. He also spoke about the various diseases that affect predators, adding that sick animals should be taken to veterinarians for treatment. A veterinarian will take SR1,000 for a single visit. In a previous statement, Prince Bandar Bin Saud, chairman of the Saudi Wildlife Authority, said that a royal decree has been issued to prevent import of predators. Only three agencies are licensed: university research centers, zoos and recreational exhibitors. He said he had seen videos showing people breeding predators inside their homes and residential areas. Some people leave them in the street to get rid of them, endangering the lives of people. "We'll impose the highest punishment on such violators," the prince said.
