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Tropical Storm Dorian Heading for Puerto Rico; Political Feud Hampering Effort to Fight Amazon Fires; Accuser Says Epstein Forced Her to Have Sex with Prince Andrew; Behind the Scenes at the G7; Brazil Says It's Open To Taking Foreign Aid For Fires; Rouhani: No Talks With Trump Until Sanctions Lifted; Demand In Arabian Peninsula Drives Cheetah Smuggling; Teen Makes Emissions-Free Yacht Trip To New York. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired August 28, 2019 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Puerto Rico braces for another hit. Tropical Storm Dorian just hours away. We ask officials if the island is ready this time around.

As the Amazon rain forest burns at a record rate, Brazil's president set some conditions on accepting foreign aid to fight the flames. And a CNN exclusive: we take a look at how smuggling baby cheetahs for the wealthy could lead to their extinction.

Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world, I'm Rosemary Church and this is CNN NEWSROOM.

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CHURCH: Millions of people in Puerto Rico are preparing for yet another powerful storm two years after Hurricane Maria and Irma devastated the U.S. territory.

Here is where Tropical Storm Dorian is right now, it has already left the eastern Caribbean islands and is expected to be near hurricane strength when it makes landfall in Puerto Rico in the coming hours.

Dorian is not nearly as powerful as Maria was but it could cause severe flooding nonetheless. The Puerto Rican government says it is ready. Residents still rebuilding from 2017 are not as convinced.

Carla Campos joins us from San Juan, she is tourism director for the government of Puerto Rico.

Thanks for being with us.

CARLA CAMPOS, TOURISM DIRECTOR, PUERTO RICO: Thank you for the opportunity.

CHURCH: Tropical Storm Dorian is expected to strengthen and could hit Puerto Rico in the coming hours.

What is being done and what's your industry to make sure everyone is safe?

CAMPOS: We're very well aware of the fact that Puerto Rico has been on everyone's minds for a while and our preparedness plans are now put to a test. Tropical Storm Dorian, it's expected to arrive over the next day.

But government agencies locally are very well prepared, even more so than before, to respond efficiently, so we have over 500 FEMA workers that are already on the ground, over 300 shelters that are in place for our citizens.

And all in all, the agency preparedness measures are in place. The governor has made sure everyone's contingency plans are in motion and people should not be worried but be prepared.

CHURCH: When are you telling people that they should get themselves to shelters from this tropical storm?

And how helpful do you think authorities have been to people, telling them what they need to get done?

How are they communicating that to people?

CAMPOS: As it relates to tourism, we have communicated to the island to take the necessary precautions with their hotels and other businesses. As of 7:00 pm last night we informed everyone living in flooding zones that this would be about the right time to move over to shelters.

The local municipalities are tasked with communicating to their citizens locally and receiving guidance from the state agencies. The state agencies in turn are working hand in hand with the federal agencies in order to prepare.

Some shelters have started to receive people who are living in flooding zones. Again, this is a tropical storm so we expect heavy winds and rain. We live in a Caribbean island so we are no strangers to this kind of phenomenon.

But evidently because Hurricane Maria passed over two years ago, we are more ready than ever. The state agencies are very well prepared and are actually more prepared now to respond than we were before.

CHURCH: That's good to hear, because as you point out, Puerto Rico is still recovering from Hurricane Maria, hitting two years ago.

How much worse could this be for the region, do you think?

CAMPOS: We have gone a very long way and Puerto Rico is actually open for business and ready to receive travelers. We have been receiving travelers for quite a while, so locally there is some coarse infrastructure that is a bit at fragile and that's why federal funding is crucial and necessary. But the magnitude of the tropical storm cannot be compared to

Hurricane Maria. We are confident that with the measures and place, with everyone taking shelter that needs to and the adequate response from state, federal --

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CAMPOS: -- and municipal governments with the private sector, we hope that casualties in terms of material losses are kept to a minimum and, hopefully, no lives will bed lost.

CHURCH: Finally, President Trump has moved to some funds from FEMA.

What sort of impact could that have on Puerto Rico in this situation?

CAMPOS: At the moment, over 500 FEMA workers and federal workers from different agencies in the government have already arrived in Puerto Rico. They're in place at the convention center, which is our emergency management and operations center and all the federal agencies have been in touch with the state agencies tasked with the response.

So the communication has gone very well, from the governor all the way to the different heads of agencies, like myself, that have been in communications with our counterparts at the federal level.

Understand we are all very well prepared for this but we need to be more prepared than ever, given that some of our infrastructure and our people are still a bit fragile. More to come over the next days. We expect about two hours of strong winds and rain but we are confident all will be well.

CHURCH: We are thinking of you and all of the people of Puerto Rico. We wish you the best as Dorian approaches and everyone hunkers down and stay safe. Many thanks for joining us.

CAMPOS: Thank you.

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CHURCH: Brazil is now willing to accept foreign aid to fight the fires in the Amazon. A spokesman says that's as long as the Brazilian government gets to decide how the money is spent. Earlier, President Bolsonaro seemed to shrug off $20 million in aid from G7 countries over a spat with the French president. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has the report.

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NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Vanity before humanity in the Earth's most urgent environmental crisis. Brazil's leader demanding an apology from French President Emmanuel Macron today threatening to reject $20 million to fight the Amazon rainforest fires, the very ones burning in his own backyard and destroying a vital habitat, all because President Jair Bolsonaro says Macron crossed a line by calling him a liar on his commitment to the environment.

JAIR BOLSONARO, PRESIDENT, BRAZIL (through translator): Mr. Macron should think two, three times before he attempts to get out of the complicated situation he is in.

WALSH: The Brazilian government initially turning down the offer of aid from the G7 alliance. Bolsonaro adding he didn't trust the motivation behind the --

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WALSH (voice-over): -- money telling reporters earlier this week, why do they have their eye on the Amazon? What do they want there? Then accusing France of treating them as if we were a colony or no-man's land.

The Brazilian president has touted himself as a protector and ally of the Amazon but critics say since he came into office he's just hurt it. Deforestation has risen 80 percent since 2018. And there 85 percent more fires than this time last year.

His fire brigade has seen the spike firsthand. Most of the fires they fight often by hand are deliberately lit by people they say. It is a tiring uphill struggle.

CARMEN CRISTINA DE SILVA, COORDINATOR, FIRE BRIGADE (through translator): Nowadays we feel sometimes even a bit powerless because we work so hard to get some reduction and thus far it is only increased even more.

WALSH: This team of 30 firefighters cover an enormous area in one of the worst affected states in the Amazon. But the $20 million the world's seven richest nations have pledged to fight this climate emergency and the Brazil may not even accept would only pay for 70 units of this size for one year across the whole of the Amazon.

Bolsonaro responded to the intense pressure this weekend vowing to send 43,000 troops to fight the fires. But it is a race against time and, when it comes to world leaders, against their pride, too -- Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Porto Velho, Brazil.

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CHURCH: Let's turn to Andrew Miller, the advocacy director at Amazon Watch.

Thank you so much for joining us.

ANDREW MILLER, AMAZON WATCH: Thank you for having me on the show.

CHURCH: While the Amazon burns, Brazil initially rejected $20 million of pledge aid from the G7 nations but a short time later, President Bolsonaro hinted at accepting the funds if the French president withdrew insults about him.

So while Bolsonaro wrestles with his pride, what happens to the Amazon?

MILLER: Unfortunately, it seems that the egos of some of these leaders is getting in the way of an effective response. It's really crucial that the fires be dealt with in the short term. And that could require resources and support from other countries.

Hopefully the Brazilian government will accept those but there's a longer term question about the overall policies that President Bolsonaro is carrying out and those policies go completely in the direction of opening up the Amazon to deforestation.

We saw today -- there was a meeting that Bolsonaro held with the governors of Amazon regions of Brazil and, unfortunately, much of the conversation was about how the environmental protections and indigenous territories were holding back the development.

There were many complaints about the indigenous territories in the Amazon and those are the best protected parts of the Amazon. So to protect the rain forest, those areas should be expanded and not reduced.

CHURCH: Going forward Bolsonaro appears more likely to negotiate with France in the end and accept these funds.

How far will $20 million go in preventing more damage being done to the Amazon and how should that money be spent to do that?

And how many controls need to be over that money to ensure that is exactly where it goes and not somewhere else?

MILLER: Well, $20 million isn't a lot of money. Unfortunately, there are cases where large sums of money have been available to support conservation efforts in the Brazilian Amazon, through the Amazon Fund that had been provided by Norway and Germany, hundreds of millions of dollars, in fact.

But those countries have withdrawn those funds in the short term over control of how those funds are spent. And that's a bad sign. There need to be independent decision-making mechanisms for some of these conservation projects. But $20 million doesn't necessarily go very far.

It's really a question of the political will that the government has to actually get out there, to tackle the fires and ultimately try to control some of the illegal activities that were going on. One of our concerns is to focus on the use of the military.

Perhaps, in the short term, leveraging the military to go out and control the fires could be helpful. But in the long term, the idea that the Amazon will be militarized is actually very concerning. There are tremendous civilian institutions, the environmental police, who, in the past, have done a phenomenal job in helping control deforestation, who have been systematically weakened and underfunded.

So the notion that there's a military solution to what is going on to us, it's tremendously concerning. CHURCH: As you were talking, we were looking at aerial shots of the devastation that these fires have caused so far across --

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CHURCH: -- the Amazon. It is extensive.

Who do you think is to blame for the fires and how can more destruction of the Amazon be prevented going forward?

MILLER: Well, this is the burning season, so there are, as many people pointed out, these fires happen every year around this time. They're lit by people who are working to clear land, either land that has already deforested and they need to burn off the trees and vegetation that have been cut down.

But in many cases, the fires escape and can get out of control and move into other areas. In some cases, they are deliberately set in places where they're not supposed to be and going into protected areas and indigenous territories.

So these are definitely manmade fires and they're being set by ranchers and illegal loggers and others, looking to open up the Amazon, very much having been encouraged by Bolsonaro and the series of governors who were complaining about indigenous territories.

Moving forward, that illegal activity needs to be controlled. And Brazil has good laws. Brazil has good norms. Brazil has the institutions in place to help control that as they proved in the past.

But this administration is systematically not enforcing the laws and, in fact, last week while the news and the images of the fires were going viral, there was fighting in the Brazilian congress around weakening environmental norms, weakening the protections of indigenous territories to allow mining and logging within.

So it's really the entire vision of this administration is geared towards destroying the Amazon and that's incredibly worrying. We think, the international community, beyond simply offering funds to help stop the fires, need to reevaluate itself as markets for many of these projects. We need to reevaluate the beef that's coming out of Brazil.

We need to reevaluate the soy products coming out to feed cattle. In part, the international community needs to change how much meat we are eating writ large. The U.N. has talked about that. The government panel on climate change recently wrote about that.

So there's a broader societal issue here about consumption patterns. But we need to be concerned about the market that we create for many of these products.

CHURCH: Yes, a lot of the time, the onus is put back on the public to play their part to make sure these things don't happen. You mentioned not enforcing laws, that's a consistent problem across the globe on many different issues. Andrew Miller, thank you for joining us, we appreciate it.

MILLER: Thank you very much.

CHURCH: And, in neighboring Bolivia the president is spending his reelection campaign to focus on the Amazon fire crisis in his country. He joined firefighters in Santa Rosa on Tuesday. Bolivia has battled more than 13,000 fires in August, a 422 percent increase from July.

President Morales says 4,000 state employees and volunteers are fighting the flames. Paraguay, Chile and Spain are assisting.

New reports of tense moments behind the scenes at the G7 summit. The issue that had Donald Trump at odds with the European leaders, that's next.

Plus, the need for clicks and likes is driving cheetahs to extinction. Social media's impact on exotic animal smuggling, that's ahead.

And accusers in the Jeffrey Epstein case have their say in court. One woman's allegation involves Prince Andrew. We are back with that in just a moment.

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CHURCH: For the first time, we are hearing directly from a woman who claims she was forced to have sex with Britain's Prince Andrew. A line of women came forward to tell their stories of sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein. The well connected financier was facing trial on sex trafficking charges until his body was found in a jail cell.

One accuser says Epstein ordered her to have sex with the prince when she was 17. The prince denies the allegation.

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VIRGINIA GIUFFRE, EPSTEIN ACCUSER: He knows exactly what he's done and I hope he comes clean about it.

First of all, I just want to say thank you all for turning out and putting some limelight on this horrid discussion that we've had feel for the past 2 decades. I was recruited at a very young age from Mar- a-Lago and entrapped in the world that I did not understand.

And I've been fighting that very world to this day and I won't stop fighting. I will never be silent until these people are brought to justice.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BRAD EDWARDS, GUIFFRE'S ATTRONEY: If anyone wants to come over here and talk with us and answer real questions that the victims have and that we have on their behalf, we welcome that invitation. I personally extended that invitation to Prince Andrew multiple times.

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CHURCH: Many of the women claim Epstein's death denied them justice and they urged officials to prosecute anyone who was involved. Epstein's attorneys questioned the coroner's ruling of suicide and called for an investigation.

To hear the president tell us, the G7 summit was one of unity and cooperation. Donald Trump glossed over his head-spinning shifts on the trade war with China, agreed in principle to a meeting with his Iranian counterpart but U.S. sanctions may be a deal breaker for that.

He insisted that some leaders agreed with him on readmitting Russia to the gathering but we are learning that Mr. Trump's push was actually met with fierce resistance. Boris Sanchez has the details.

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BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump returning to Washington from the G7, calling it a great success on Twitter but two diplomatic sources and one senior U.S. official tell CNN, behind the scenes, there was feuding between world leaders in France over his insistence that Russia be invited to rejoin the group.

TRUMP: A lot of people say having Russia, which is a power, having them inside the room is better than having them outside the room. By the way, there were numerous people during the G7 that felt that way and we didn't take a vote on anything but we did discuss it. My inclination is to say yes, they should be in.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): But CNN has learned that was not the case at all, only outgoing Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte agreed with Trump, while most of the allies, including Britain's Boris Johnson, Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron's balked at the idea, leading to tense, heated exchanges during a Saturday dinner.

One diplomatic source saying Trump repeatedly blamed his predecessor, Barack Obama, for rejecting Russia from the group, even as he was outnumbered by counterparts who argued that Russia had become more undemocratic since it was ejected for invading Crimea in 2014.

On Twitter, Trump launched attacks on the press, trying to spin coverage of his dizzying performance at the G7, writing, quote, "Media coverage bore no relationship to what actually happened in France. Fake news, it was great."

Trump's trip also punctuated --

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SANCHEZ (voice-over): -- by confounding and misleading statements about the state of trade discussions with China, the first lady's relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and his outlook on relations with Iran. The president saying he's open to meeting with the Iranian President Rouhani while also threatening violence.

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TRUMP: If the circumstances were correct, were right, I would certainly agree to that. They can't do what they were saying they're going to do because if they do that they will be met with really very violent force.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): Rouhani with an insulting response, saying he will only be with Trump if...

HASSAN ROUHANI, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): If you lift all these sanctions and if you bow your head with respect to the nation of Iran, well, then, the situation will be different.

SANCHEZ: The White House declined to comment to Rouhani's response. President Trump was asked on Monday about the strategy behind his bellicose, often contradictory rhetoric. The president saying it's just the way that he negotiates and that it's served him and the country well -- Boris Sanchez, CNN, at the White House.

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CHURCH: Turkey's president is cozying up to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. They met in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Syria and marvel at new Russian military jets. The meeting comes as ties between Turkey and the U.S. remain strained. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has the details.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Vladimir Putin putting on a full court press, trying to poach a key U.S. ally and a member of NATO, showing off his newest jets to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION (through translator): We talked about cooperation on the SU-35 and even on the new SU-57. We have many opportunities. We have demonstrated new weapons systems and I think a lot has interested our Turkish partners, not only in terms of purchase but also in terms of joint production.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Putin is trying to lure Erdogan with would-be sweet deals on Russian gear.

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT OF TURKEY (through translator): Our visit has allowed us to see firsthand the level the Russian Federation has reached in aviation and aerospace.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): But it comes as U.S.-Turkish relations are deteriorating after Erdogan bought Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missiles, the second batch arriving in Turkey today. Turkey's move caused the U.S. to stop sales of the F-35 stealth fighter to the Turks, fearing Russia's missile system could infiltrate the F-35's top-secret technology.

The tension between the U.S. and Turkey seemed to be a laughing matter for Putin as he showed off his own new stealth fighter.

PUTIN (through translator): And it's for sale?

You can buy it.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Instead of taking a tough stance and possibly sanctioning Turkey for acquiring Russian military gear, President Trump falsely blaming the Obama administration for the entire impasse.

TRUMP: He wanted to buy the Patriot missile; President Obama's group said no. He kept wanting to buy it; they kept saying no, no, no. Couldn't buy it. Now, he needed it for defense. He needed it. So he then went to Russia and he bought the S-400.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Meantime, other U.S. allies, like India and Saudi Arabia, have also ordered Russian anti-aircraft weapons to Vladimir Putin's pleasure and the U.S.' dismay -- Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.

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CHURCH: British opposition parties are digging in their heels on no- deal Brexit. Labour is working with five other minor opposition parties to pass a bill that would block the E.U. leaving the European Union without an agreement.

Meantime, Boris Johnson has been on calls with E.U. leaders trying to reach a new deal with Brussels. His spokesperson says that he has set out alternatives to the Irish backstop which has been a sticking point with the negotiations. But the leader of the Brexit Party says time is running out.

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NIGEL FARAGE, BREXIT PARTY LEADER: Well, Boris, you talked about do or die, about leaving the European Union on the 31st of October. And I would say to you, deliver or politically die.

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CHURCH: Mr. Johnson has sent his Brexit negotiator to Brussels to meet with leaders.

Puerto Ricans are reliving a nightmare as they prepare for another powerful storm to make landfall there. Ahead, the latest on Tropical Storm Dorian.

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[02:32:01] CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Rosemary Church. I want to update you now on the main stories we've been watching this hour. Brazil says it's open to taking foreign aid to fight the massive fires in the Amazon, but only if the Brazilian government gets to decide how the money is spent. Earlier, President Jair Bolsonaro said he would accept the $20 million offer from G7 nations if French President Emmanuel Macron withdrew his insults against him.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says there will be no talks with Donald Trump until sanctions are lifted. His comments come one day after the U.S. president said there was a good chance of a meeting. Mr. Rouhani also says Iran will continue to scale back its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal if sanctions remain.

Puerto Ricans gearing up for another possible disastrous Tropical Storm Dorian spins toward the already fragile Island. It's expected to make landfall near the City of Ponce in the coming hours. Officials are warning of dangerous floods and widespread power outages.

And Tropical Storm Dorian isn't nearly as big as Hurricane Maria or Hurricane Irma, but this time around, the Mayor of San Juan says Puerto Rico is ready, even though people are still rebuilding from the devastation two years ago.

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CARMEN YULIN CRUZ, MAYOR OF SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO: Let me first tell you that, yes, in San Juan, we are much better prepared than two years ago. For example, all of our municipal hospital and our nine clinics, which provide, of course, health services for all of our people from San Juan and outside of San Juan. All of them now have generators. Our hospital, as far as we know, is the only hospital in Puerto Rico that has not one but two sets of generators that will make it run flawlessly even if the power fails. That is something very, very good. Our areas we have right now for shelters that we are opening for the people of San Juan, those shelters are better equipped.

We have one month of supplies of what is known as surgical equipment, and prescription drugs, and anything that needs to be used in the hospital and in all of our clinics. And we have one month worth of food and water not only for the municipality, but also for the people of San Juan. Last time we had to take care of 65 elderly homes. So, we are much better prepared for that. However, inwardly towards the island of Puerto Rico, this is not the case. People -- there's still 30,000 people with blue tarps or blue roofs on their homes. 11 out of 16 power generators in Puerto Rico are off the grid, so they're not providing or producing any power whatsoever.

[02:35:07] What is known as power (INAUDIBLE) which are blackouts in Puerto Rico have been common since hurricanes Irma and Maria. The bridges and many bridges in Puerto Rico are still not working appropriately. So, we, you know, we say to the President of the United States, will his lie and will that ever end, will his racism and his vindictive behavior towards the people of Puerto Rico ever end? As you have said, this is not how a president behaves. This is not how a human behave in the face of adversity.

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CHURCH: And we will continue to cover Tropical Storm Dorian as it approaches Puerto Rico. For live updates, of course, you can also head to cnn.com.

And we're tracking developments in Gaza where two deadly explosions have struck near police checkpoints. Officials say at least three police officers were killed, three were wounded. Israel reported rocket fire from Gaza in recent days. But the Hamas-run Interior Ministry hasn't accused Israel in these blasts.

The Israeli military denies it was involved. And we are seeing dramatic images like this after the latest explosions, families and loved ones in mourning. The cause of the blast is not yet known.

One of the world's great cats is being driven to extinction by smuggling. Coming up, we will hear from an animal expert about what can be done to stop the trade in cheetahs. We're back in a moment.

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CHURCH: Well, Costco has built a following in the United States. And judging by its first day in China, it appears the store will be popular there, too. The retailer opened its first outlet in Shanghai but had to shut down early because of too many shoppers. Police were sent to keep order and managed the traffic jams. Customers had to wait up to three hours just for a parking spot. Costco has had an online presence in China, but the first bricks and mortar store marks a significant investment.

[02:34:57] Well, there is nothing new about snatching one of the dwindling numbers of cheetahs from what's left of their natural habitat to be kept as a pet. But the shameless and despicable practice is on the rise. As CNN discovered, you can even buy a cheetah online. Our Jomana Karadsheh travelled to the main thoroughfare of cheetah trafficking in East Africa, and she has more in this exclusive report.

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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Barely a couple of weeks old, Goalless is clearly in desperate need of his mother. But this orphan cheetah is one of the lucky ones, rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. Across the Horn of Africa, if the mothers aren't killed, the cubs are snatched from them, smuggled in cramped crates and cardboard boxes. By the time they get to the shelter, they're barely alive.

According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, some 300 cubs are smuggled out of this region every year. And for everyone that makes it into captivity, another three die on the way. That valley down bear is becoming known as the cheetah supermarket. That's because many of the trafficked cheetahs are being smuggled across this porous border with Ethiopia into Somaliland.

This breakaway state from Somalia is the main transit route for the traffic cats out of the Horn of Africa. Smuggled across the Gulf of Aden to the Arabian Peninsula. The survivors of the rough journey become an exotic accessory like designer bling. As rich Gulf Arabs compete for social media clicks. At least 1,000 cheetahs are estimated to be in private hands and Gulf states. According to experts, most die within a year or two in captivity. Although private ownership and trading of wildlife is banned in most Gulf states, enforcement is lax.

Illegal online sales are starting to be policed. But if you really want a Cheetah, they're not hard to find. This is an online Saudi market place, and when we search for cheetahs, several listings came up some advertising two to three old Cheetos, other selling young cubs.

This man in Saudi Arabia is eager to sell.

TEXT: Whatever cheetah you want. You want male, you want female, it's not an issue.

From Africa. We import through a website with a guy, and we have another Saudi trader. I got more than 80 from them.

KARADSHEH: $6,600 U.S. seems to be the starting online price in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government did not respond to CNN's repeated requests for comment. There are only 7,500 cheetahs left worldwide, half the number from just a decade ago.

LAURIE MARKER, FOUNDER, CHEETAH CONSERVATION FUND: People who have a cheetah as a pet are causing the species to go extinct. It's leading the way towards extinction. Mr. Bottle is one of the favorite toys that we found.

KARADSHEH: American biologist Laurie Marker and her Cheetah Conservation Fund are racing to save this species from extinction.

MARKER: This is not how a baby cheetah should be living. They need to be living out in the wild.

KARADSHEH: They set up this safe house in Somaliland for the rescues. It's bursting at the seams.

MARKER: Seeing them in here, it breaks my heart.

KARADSHEH: You can see why people call them cats that cry.

MARKER: It's our responsibility to give them the very best care that they can have. And to try to save every single one of them.

KARADSHEH: 10-month-old Kitty is in intensive care. The last survivor of three sisters.

MARKER: She is not one of our healthiest cats. And it probably does have a lot to do with the way she started in life.

KARADSHEH: Despite the team's efforts, Kitty didn't make it.

MARKER: These animals are a smaller population, very rare population. And from that, each one of them do carry a different genetic code.

This one is a male.

KARADSHEH: Every club gets microchiped. Their DNA is recorded. Without a mother that has to be taught how to hunt and survive in the wild.

MARKER: It takes sometimes months to try to get one cheetah to get on its feet.

KARADSHEH: (INAUDIBLE) is soon to be vet is their main caregiver.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love them so much that I don't even see my mom once a week. She lives over there.

KARADSHEH: According to Marker, there are only about 300 adults in unprotected areas in the Horn of Africa.

MARKER: If you do your math, the math kind of shows that it's only going to be a matter of a couple years that we're not going to have any cheetahs in this region left.

[02:44:58] KARADSHEH: Many have already been lost to conflict with humans. Somaliland wildlife authorities are busting traffickers. It's illegal here along with private ownership. But in the capital, Hargeisa, a popular restaurant advertises burgers and captive lions pacing in the background for selfies.

For three years, this cheetah on a short rope has been the star attraction for paying clients to pet, poke, and pose with. The owner insists it's legal.

ABDIRASHIQ ALI MOHAMED, OWNER, LION RESTAURANT: Yes, we have the license to keep these animals. And plus, this guy, he's -- there's only one cheetah here, and he has lot of space to run around.

KARADSHEH: Why it was tolerated in plain sight went unanswered by the authorities. More are hidden behind walls.

Even as we're leaving Somaliland, two more cheetahs have been confiscated from a house here in Hargeisa. Three more were seized just a few days later. As long as there's a demand by the rich, creating a lucrative trade for the poor, the cheetah's future hangs in the balance. Time is not on their side.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Hargeisa, Somaliland.

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CHURCH: Dave Salmoni joins us now from Toronto. He is a large predator expert and the host of the show, Big Small and Deadly on Animal Planet. It is so good to have you with us.

DAVE SALMONI, HOST, BIG SMALL AND DEADLY ON ANIMAL PLANET: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: We watched that story and it is heartbreaking. Cheetah cubs smuggled in cardboard boxes, sold by the poor to the very rich as exotic pets. And with only 7,500 cheetahs left worldwide, how can these beautiful animals be protected and saved from extinction?

SALMONI: You know, I think it's more about enforcing the laws that we have. I mean, they are protected, trade, export, import of these animals exists. But, it's locking them down, it's making ourselves aware of where some of this illegal trade is happening and closing those corridors. But, the bigger question as to how we can stop this cheetah from becoming extinct, well, let's go a lot more facets to it.

CHURCH: So, why aren't these laws being enforced do you think?

SALMONI: I think in any situation when you have a demand which is -- you know, the pet trade has been going on forever and ever. And the fact that cheetah are so revered and they're so beautiful, and they're so majestic, they're a hard target. They're not as dangerous as a lion or a tiger.

So, those that are drawn to the big cats are drawn to cheetah for -- you know, particular safety. So, when there's demand, there is supply. And particularly, in these impoverished countries, people are willing to take risks in this horn trade or anything else.

They learn the laws, they learn the ways around them, and they keep doing it until they are caught.

CHURCH: Right. And, of course, 300 cubs we saw in that story. A smuggled out of the Horn of Africa every year to the Arabian Peninsula. And sold to these wealthy owners in the Middle East.

Is there any way to stop the demand for these exotic pets by perhaps even shaming the owners into realizing that what they're doing is wrong. And when we saw there in Jomana's piece, so many pictures of these owners and what they do with their animals. It is shameful.

SALMONI: It's absolutely shameful. This is not what they for, and I feel like as a biologist, I can't speak to the social aspects as to what drives people to want these pet trades.

You know, social media was sort of a new thing. This pet trade has happened for years, and years, and years, and years, and decades. And so, it's not new. It's just sort of taking on this new form. I think the way that we find best helps us in our fight is pleading with them as animal lovers.

These people do love animals that's why they want them in their lives, and it's explained to them that this is not the life for the animal that they love.

(CROSSTALK)

CHURCH: So --

SALMONI: And I think it's the occasion that kind of can make these guys come around to saying, well, OK, well, instead of having one of my house, maybe I'll go on a few more safaris.

CHURCH: Yes, and perhaps, it's up to the public to when they see these pictures of cheetahs in these environments for them to make those comments on the social media platforms that these pictures are put out on.

And I mean that's we just put that out there. But one restaurant owner in Jomana's story said he had a license to keep his cheetah on a leash, and charge people to pet and take selfies with the animal. And right out in the open.

So, why would authorities not be doing something in that situation?

SALMONI: I think the laws that govern exotic animals are lacks. I think in a lot of places, they are non-existent. So, the laws that say one person can have an exotic animal and the definitions in which they can have them, that's what needs to be look at.

That's more a problem with the law than it is in sort of the grand conservation of the species. I think that there are lots of places around that make it far too easy for people with ill-intentions with an animals to get away with a lot of things just like that.

I think that the other situations that may be a reasonable person would think about or what -- or what happens if someone gets bit? What happens if this animal gets sick? You know, what kind of life is this for -- you know, such a beautiful creature?

I think that these are all questions that don't get asked in those types of situations. Those types of --

(CROSSTALK)

[02:50:46] CHURCH: Right. And that's why it's so important that we are talking about this and putting this out there, so people are made aware of this situation. And cheetahs, of course, are listed as a vulnerable species at risk of becoming endangered.

And while international trade in cheetahs is restricted as we've talked about, some limited export is allowed from certain African countries. What can be done to prevent all exporting of these animals? And could that be the answer? Is that reasonable, do you think?

SALMONI: Well, I know -- I don't know that it's reasonable, I don't know that it's wise. I think one of the bigger pictures with cheetah is that they have gone through what we call a genetic bottleneck in the past.

What that means is the population is shrunk such that there isn't a lot of differentiation in the genes. So, there are a lot of accredited zoos, accredited people that are working towards growing those genetics and that genetic diversity.

So, accessing populations across borders is an important tool for those types of people. So, locking it down altogether is probably not solution. But I certainly think that -- you know, it's getting the different avenues in which the people that we don't want to be trading these animals are getting them and their avenues shut down there. There shouldn't be an airline that allows you to -- you know, slap a bunch of cubs in the -- in the cargo hold and sell them off anywhere. That -- you know, they -- those types of laws could be looked out for sure.

CHURCH: Yes, it certainly awareness is important in all of this. And hopefully, our international audience are now very much aware of this situation. Dave Salmoni, thank you so much for talking with us. We do appreciate it.

SALMONI: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: Education is the key, right? Well, one brave teenager crossing the Atlantic in rough conditions all for the sake of the environment. 16-year-old, Greta Thunberg's incredible journey. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Well, two women who broke down barriers in the United States are becoming Barbie dolls. Toymaker, Mattel, says Sally Ride and Rosa Parks made the world better for generations of girls. And they hope the dolls will inspire girls to pursue their dreams.

Astronaut Sally Ride was the first American woman and youngest American to fly in space. And Rosa Parks is known as the mother of the modern civil rights movement. The dolls made their debut on America's Women's Equality Day.

And when you think about traveling from Europe to the United States, an airplane is probably the first thing that comes to mind. Well, not if you're Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teenager raising awareness of the climate crisis. More now from CNN's Michael Holmes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:55:06] MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The world's most famous teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, set sail from New York two weeks ago.

Choosing to go by sea rather than flying to make her trip emissions- free. And now, her epic journey across the Atlantic is about to be over. She documented the trip on social media, tweeting on Monday, "Rough seas south of Nova Scotia. But conditions closer to New York will be slower than predicted and weather updates suggest Wednesday arrival."

It is difficult to say exactly when Greta will actually get to New York, rough seas would further delay the arrival. This digital map captures the trip in real-time. It's not been all smooth sailing for the 16-year-old and her team. The sea hasn't been too kind to them in some areas.

GRETA THUNBERG, STUDENT AND CLIMATE ACTIVIST: We are turn to doing between 20 and 25 knots. Last night we hits 30 knots, and that we are about 300 miles away from Nova Scotia, and it's very rough and very high waves. And yes.

HOLMES: Rough seas are not all that Greta has to contend with. Conditions on this old racing yachts, the Malizia II are not ideal. There's no toilet or running water. The yacht fitted with solar panels and underwater turbines to generate electricity. But before leaving, Greta said, she was prepared to face these conditions.

THUNBERG: It's not going to be comfortable, but that I can live with.

HOLMES: The 16-year-old Swede became famous by staging a weekly Friday strike outside the Swedish parliament in 2018. To protest what she called the Swedish government's inaction on climate change.

She since inspired young people around the world. Many of whom have organized their own protests against climate change. While in New York, Greta will address the United Nations climate summit. She will later travel around the Americas campaigning for stronger action against climate change. She's taken a year off school to focus on her campaign.

Michael Holmes. CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well done there. And thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. Remember to connect with me anytime on Twitter @rosemaryCNN. And I'll be back with more news in just a moment. You're watching CNN. Do stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Another storm heads towards Puerto Rico with just hours before landfall. We will take a look at how the island is getting ready for Tropical Storm Dorian.

As fires rage across the Amazon, we will see how the fragile ecosystems and the many endangered animals are surviving.

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