,
Buying
illegal wild animals in Kuwait is, as one local puts it, “as easy as
acquiring a cupcake.” Pets have long been used as status symbols the
world over, but citizens of the Gulf take the prize when it comes to
keeping the most exotic, controversial species—most commonly, “big cat”
cubs.
International law governing Kuwait and other Gulf states
forbids the import and sale of wild animals, yet the sight of supercars
being driven around with a cheetah in the front seat is starting to
become commonplace on Arab Instagram feeds.
Although there are
legal ways to bring an animal into Kuwait, paying people off along the
way is easier. Lion, cheetah, and tiger cubs are in the highest demand,
fetching up to $15,000 each through black market agents. More often than
not, the owners have little idea how to care for these creatures, which
have no history of domestication and quickly become unmanageable—even
lethal—once they’re fully grown.
In Big Cats of the Gulf, VICE
investigates the area’s flourishing trade in animal trafficking and how
it impacts the depleting wildcat populations of Central and East Africa.
We gain exclusive access to Kuwait’s biggest Instagram star of the big
cat phenomenon and hear first-hand of the deadly consequences of the
business—both for the animals and their owners.
source
No comments:
Post a Comment