Dubai Police rescue tiger cub spotted 'on the loose'

Officers seize exotic animal, which was ordered online and will now be rehabilitated at Dubai Safari

The tiger cub was seized in Dubai after a resident spotted it 'on the loose'. Photo: Dubai Police

A tiger cub was seized in Dubai last week after a member of the public reported seeing it “on the loose".

Officers from a special police unit, dedicated to combating the illegal trade in exotic animals, confiscated the cub, which is between four and six months old, from a man who said he had bought it online after seeing an advertisement on social media.

“He said it's his hobby to own exotic animals because he loves them,” said Col Khalfan Al Jallaf, director of the Environmental Crimes Division.

“[The incident] happened during the last week of October after we received a report from a public member about seeing the animal on the loose.”

The cub is being sheltered by the emirate's municipality, where it will have a full health check before being transferred to Dubai Safari for rehabilitation.

We received a report from a public member about seeing the [tiger cub] on the loose

Col Khalfan Al Jallaf,
Environmental Crimes Division

The man, whose nationality and age were not disclosed by police, was referred to Dubai prosecution for illegally possessing a wild animal.

“The penalty for this charge is up to six months in prison, but not less than a month, and/or a fine not less than Dh50,000 and not exceeding Dh500,000,” Col Al Jallaf said.

Since March, the unit has seized eight exotic animals. All were being kept by men aged in their 30s.

The seized animals included a wolf, a fox, and a finger-sized monkey.

“One of the animals was handed in by its owner after he read about the unit and the laws regarding possessing wild animals,” said Col Al Jallaf.

In September, police confiscated a lion cub after it was reported wandering around the Living Legends community.

A lion cub was on the loose in Living Legends residential community, Dubai, in September.

“We found the cub very close to his owner’s house,” said Col Al Jallaf.

The owner would not reveal where he got the lion, but said he had not noticed it leaving the house.

Col Al Jallaf said there has been a significant decline in the number of reports of wild animals spotted in public.

“There has also been a drop in the number of people showing off by posting videos online of themselves with their wild animals,” he said.

The number of social media advertisements selling exotic animals has also decreased recently, he said.

Col Al Jallaf credited this recent fall to action by police to spread awareness about the law.

“We used our Instagram and Twitter accounts and spoke to media outlets about our unit to let people know that individuals are prohibited from owning wild animals,” he said.

More campaigns and a conference to raise awareness about UAE laws concerning exotic animals and wildlife will be launched in the coming months.

Col Al Jallaf called on the public to report any incidents involving exotic animals by calling 999 or emailing [e-mail]. Members of the public can also call 901 for general enquiries.

Smuggling of cheetahs to the Gulf — in pictures

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  Cheetah cubs are highly sought after, despite global and local efforts to tackle the illegal trade. Sammy Dallal / The National

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  Social media has increased demand for trafficked animals, where they are often flaunted as pets or accessories. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Ownership of predatory, dangerous and semi-dangerous animals, such as this cheetah found wandering the streets of Al Karamah, in central Abu Dhabi, is illegal in the UAE. Andrew Henderson / The National

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  A young cheetah seized in a raid. In 2020, the Somaliland government confiscated 39 cubs. Courtesy: Cheetah Conservation Fund

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  One of 12 cheetah cubs recovered from smugglers off the coast of Somaliland. Conservationists believe the animals were being trafficked for sale in the Gulf. Courtesy: Cheetah Conservation Fund

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  Cheetah cubs are still regularly seized from wildlife traffickers looking to smuggle the animals from Africa to the GCC. Reem Mohammed / The National

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  Dr Laurie Marker with a cheetah cub rescued from poachers in Somaliland. She named the young female Light as a Feather. Courtesy: Cheetah Conservation Fund

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  Dr Laurie Marker, left, and Dr Anne Schmidt-Kuntzel of the Cheetah Conservation Fund perform a health check on a rescued cheetah. Courtesy: Cheetah Conservation Fund