• Plants and Animals

    Illegal wildlife trade

    Each year, hundreds of millions of plants and animals are caught or harvested from the wild and then sold as food, pets, ornamental plants, leather, tourist curios, and medicine. While a great deal of this trade is legal and is not harming wild populations, a worryingly large proportion is illegal — and threatens the survival of many endangered species. Why do people trade wildlife? Obviously, people trade wildlife for cash or exchange it for other useful objects. Simply put, all for their own benefits. Driving the trade is the end-consumer who has a need or desire for wildlife products, whether for food, construction or clothing. Why is wildlife trade a…