Cheetah In Sharjah Shocks Onlookers Roaming Streets Near Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Who's missing a cheetah?

That's what authorities in the United Arab Emirates are asking Wednesday after one of the big cats was captured roaming the streets of Sharjah, the emirate just north of Dubai.

The urban safari had gawkers watching the cheetah swimming off a Sharjah port and then walking past a hotel and offices on Tuesday. Media reports say the wayward cat was trapped near a mosque and handed over to animal rescue officials.

It's still unclear where the cheetah came from.

Cheetahs once lived across wide areas of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. But it's no longer believed to have any habitats on the Arabian peninsula. Its closest suspected range to Dubai are pockets in northern Iran.

Comments

[Prateek Panchal]

03:19 AM on 01/19/2011

@Hopper lol!!!!

Thanks for the post!!!.... It was really informative.

http://www.voyageafrica.net/african-safari-holidays.html

[Hoppe Reiter]

06:08 AM on 12/11/2010

even cheetahs know its time to start getting out of iran

[WindFeathers]

11:52 AM on 12/10/2010

"Its still unclear where the Cheetah came from."
Its is still uclear where all of these humans came from?!.
Cheetah's have been running up to speeds of 60 MPH on these praries for thouseand of years!
Where are they surposed to go? modern society can be so silly...
But get back to your iphones & faux glam life styles, its been a while...

Windfeather

[dragonmaster]

06:32 AM on 12/09/2010

The Cheetah is a large, but easily tamable ca it will live with humans- very easily- someone probably owned this animal as a pet- and it escaped.

[Tunghoy]

04:18 AM on 12/09/2010

Didn't Tiger Woods change his nickname to Cheetah?

[Tunghoy]

11:28 PM on 12/12/2010

This is a test. Please <b>ignore</b>.

[JScott]

06:43 PM on 12/08/2010

Its closest suspected range to Dubai are pockets in northern Iran.
Decided to go on adventure tramp thru Iran rummage thru trash cans for food, hop on a boat or swim and come up in the Emirates, probably the trssh is much better there

Besides it's like Bears and Mountain Lions in the San Gabriel mountains venturing in to nearby foohill neighborhoods to cool off in swimming pools in the summer.

[ThinkCreeps]

08:33 AM on 12/09/2010

It's on a mission to find new gold faucets and ukrainian hookers for its family.

[eyelashviper]

02:59 PM on 12/09/2010

LOL, I thought it was looking for the Chanel and Hermes stores for some nice bling and luggage.

[GirlUsingBrain]

03:21 PM on 12/08/2010

There are many wealthy ... and I mean WEALTHY ... people in Dubai and many of them have private zoos. Many of the animals are taken from the wild as babies for the exotic animal trade.

This cheetah probably has never lived in the wild and could not survive in the wild.

[moose and squirrel]

02:45 AM on 12/09/2010

cant be from a wealthy family-- cheetahs never prosper!

[TeeSC]

02:33 PM on 12/08/2010

Gorgeous animal.  I hope that they are protected in Iran.  It would be a shame to see them disappear.

[tallen]

02:15 PM on 12/08/2010

Cheettahs are my favorites of the big cats.
I worked with them at a game preserve years ago---beautiful and graceful. They can be quite gentle.
I hope this one is treated kindly and taken to where it can be free.

[Daisytoo]

02:06 PM on 12/08/2010

Probably escaped from a shopping mall.

[futate01]

02:15 PM on 12/08/2010

This was a cheetah not a cougar.

[Daisytoo]

02:19 PM on 12/08/2010

Perhaps a different shopping mall?

[ThinkCreeps]

08:34 AM on 12/09/2010

Was it in tennis gear? Must be the israelis.

[Daisytoo]

10:33 AM on 12/09/2010

Was it in a bhurkah? Must be from the UAE.