Eleven cheetah cubs were rescued from illegal trade in Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, in what a conservationist termed on Thursday as “one of the largest confiscations of the species.”

The cubs were packed in bags that resembled sacks of potatoes and were being transported in a small dhow (traditional sailing vessel) off the Somaliland coast at Berbera when the local coast guard intercepted them on Sunday.

Two locals and three Yemenis were arrested during the rescue operation, and the cheetahs were taken to a rescue center owned by the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

Somaliland is a major transit hub for the illegal wildlife trade.

Hundreds of cheetahs and leopards from the Horn of Africa have been transported to Gulf countries through the Gulf of Aden.

Possession of wildlife is illegal in Somaliland, and police often crack down on suspected traders.

In August, local authorities arrested two people and rescued another 10 cheetah cubs that were destined for the Gulf.

Cheetah Conservation Fund’s founder, Laurie Marker, said on Thursday that the cubs were “very malnourished” and were being reintroduced to food slowly, starting with fluids.

Marker said the illegal trade in cheetahs was driving the species into extinction.

Marker’s rescue center now has 128 rescued cheetahs.

Conservationists in the Horn of Africa have previously expressed concern over the rise in demand for exotic pets in Gulf countries and the resulting illegal trade affecting ecosystems in Horn of Africa nations.