A cheetah, upright, its lean muscles and black spots gloriously evident, stares straight at the camera. You might think it’s standing on grass or catching some rays outside. Instead, it’s posing in front of a fancy white car, collar around its neck, ears back.

The photo is on Instagram, where it’s easy to find images of wealthy cheetah owners, mostly in the Gulf states, showing off their exotic pet cats. The owners pose with cheetahs in their homes, luxury cars, even on speedboats.

But this passion to own the world's fastest land animal comes at a cost. Almost all the cheetahs are bought illegally, often as cubs, for upwards of $10,000.

Evidence suggests that the trade of wild cheetah cubs is happening