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R e s c uin g A n im a l s fr o m W i l d li Continued r a f f ic k in g
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Rescuing Animals from Wildlife Trafficking Continued

Scope of the Problem Public health experts warn that the illegal wildlife trade raises
The illegal trafficking of wild animals and their body parts is the risk that highly contagious and deadly pathogens carried by
not a new problem. However, the international market has grown, wild animals will spill over into domestic animal or human popula-
partly driven by an increasing demand for exotic pets and tions. The majority of emerging diseases are zoonotic, or caused by
products made from wild animals. The huge profits that can germs that spread between animals and humans. Trafficking raises
be generated—an estimated $20 billion annually—has attracted this risk because the animals are not cleared by health authorities or
ruthless transnational organized crime syndicates that deal in quarantined before they enter the country. Animals are often held
large numbers of animals. Sellers and buyers have also moved and transported with or near other species—a dangerous situation
online where they can conduct business anonymously around- for disease spill over. Furthermore, many diseases that wildlife har-
the-clock and around the world. bor may go undetected by traditional testing methods.
As the illegal trade in wildlife has grown, so have threats to Entire ecosystems are damaged when a species becomes scarce
an increasing number of species. For example, between 2006 or disappears. Each animal plays an important and unique role
and 2019, the International Union for Conservation of Nature in its ecosystem and animals other than those targeted are harmed.
(IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species changed the status of For example, a swim bladder of a totoaba fish can fetch as much
the Home’s hingeback tortoise from “Vulnerable” to “Critically as $20,000 in the Chinese market. The illegal gillnets used to catch
Endangered” and lists one of the species’ primary threats as over- the fish in the Gulf of California also catch and drown vaquita
harvesting for the illegal pet trade. This is despite international porpoises. As a result, fewer than 30 vaquita porpoises remain in
regulations that prohibit trade in endangered species. Rare, the wild, according to VaquitaCPR.org, a partnership of public
endangered species are targeted by traffickers because they bring and private organizations, including CZS, that are working to save
the highest prices. the few remaining animals and rebuild the population.

32 GATEWAYS | WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING