Sharjah: The cheetah that caused a scare in Sharjah on Tuesday may not have escaped from a home in the UAE. Investigations by XPRESS suggest the animal was an illegal cargo and might have swam to the shore after jumping off the dhow that was being used to smuggle it into the country to be sold as an exotic pet.
Eyewitnesses said they saw a dhow close to the cheetah as it swam ashore and took refuge in a mosque near the SAS Radisson Hotel near Khalid Port.
In pictures: Cheetah on the loose in Sharjah
"I think it jumped off a dhow because I saw one sail past it. When the cheetah came on shore, it was dripping with water and very scared," said Pakistani national Gulam, who works at a meat shop nearby and was among the first to spot the animal which was captured after a nearly three-hour drama.
A Bangladeshi who didn't want to be named also confirmed seeing a dhow metres away from the swimming cheetah.
"Cheetahs hate water. They are reluctant swimmers and wouldn't go into the water unless forced. It would be their last option," said Dr Reza Khan, Specialist Public Parks and Horticulture Director, Dubai Municipality, giving credence to the theory that the cheetah had been held captive on a dhow. "The sea used to be the regular route for smuggling animals into the UAE in the past," said Dr Khan, hinting that it could have been smuggled from Somalia.
Paul Vercammen, Operations Manager at the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife at Sharjah Desert Park where the cheetah has been sent, also expressed surprise at the animal's "unusual" behaviour. "They know how to swim, of course, but wouldn't go in the water in normal circumstances," said Vercammen.
He said the cheetah is a female and about two years old. "It's a bit tired but is doing fairly well otherwise. We have taken an X-ray and some blood samples and are waiting for the medical report," he said.
