Dubai: The five lions and one cheetah found in a residential flat last week have since been moved to a private collection on a farm in the northern emirates, according to the tenant of the flat they were found in.
The tenant, Saeed Ahmad (name changed to protect identity) said he had proper permits for the wild cats and that the owner is a resident with a private animal collection. Gulf News was shown part of the permits. However, it remains unclear which lions the permit refers to.
The representative from the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Abu Dhabi has not yet been able to confirm how many wild cats such as cheetahs and lions are annually brought into the UAE legally or illegally.
According to Ahmad, the animals had been brought in from Africa and Oman. "Lions, cheetahs, panthers or hyenas it takes a week or 10 days ... you can have anything you want for a price, snakes, monkeys or crocodiles. There are always ways to bring them in by sea, by boat by whatever."
He said ships coming from Somalia, Sudan, and other African countries often have animals on them hidden from the authorities. "Sometimes they bring monkeys but half are dead when they arrive," he said.
The term "endangered" is somewhat alien to traders who confuse it with meaning that animals are dangerous, and not "in danger" of becoming extinct.
