Wildlife trafficking is a complex crime involving a wide diversity of species, geographies, actors, and trafficking methods. In this article, we draw insights from 900+ trafficking incidents recorded worldwide between January and July 2024.
Wildlife trafficking poses a serious threat to species and their habitats and it also causes significant economic losses and social risks for local communities. Agriculture, legal trade, and ecotourism are just a few examples of the activities that are negatively impacted by wildlife trafficking. The protection of biodiversity by local communities also has a cost. Locals who adopt the role of wildlife defenders often face harassment and violence, sometimes leading to death.
To reveal the numbers behind the wildlife trafficking phenomena for this article, DevelopmentAid analyzed all wildlife trafficking incidents registered on the Wildlife Trade Portal up to August 2024 to bring you the latest insights on this topic.
Insight #1: Elephants were the most trafficked animals
Most trafficking incidents recorded between January and July 2024 involved animals or animal parts. Mammals were highly sought after using illegal routes and were reported in 59% of all occurrences. Elephants, felines, pangolins, and primates were the top four trafficked mammals.
Table 1 – Number of trafficking incidents recorded between January and July 2024, per taxonomic group. Data from Wildlife Trade Portal [August 2024]. Note: some occurrences involved more than one taxonomic group.
Insight #2: India recorded the most trafficking incidents
Wildlife trafficking was concentrated in Asian countries, with India, the Philippines, and Myanmar being at the top of the list. Brazil, Kenya, and Columbia were the only countries outside Asia to reach the top 10.
Table 2 – Number of trafficking incidents recorded between January and July 2024, per country involved. Data from Wildlife Trade Portal [August 2024]. Note: some occurrences involved more than one country.
Insight #3: 96% of people involved in trafficking were male
For 87 occurrences, there were details available about the people involved which revealed that 127 males and 5 females intervened.
Insight #4: 945 people were arrested due to wildlife trafficking
Wildlife trafficking is a crime that can be harshly punished in some countries. Between January and July 2024, 945 people were arrested and 196 had already been charged. However, only 21 were given a prison sentence.
Table 3 – Number of people involved in wildlife trafficking between January and July 2024, per recorded outcome. Data from Wildlife Trade Portal [August 2024]. Note: not all occurrences had data available on the incident outcome.
Three wildlife trafficking stories from 2024
We have selected three stories from the 929 trafficking activities that were analyzed to provide further insights into how wildlife trafficking is operating in 2024.
Story #1: Lion skulls worth US$100,000
In Zimbabwe, 5 lion skulls (Panthera leo) were found inside a car on February 17 with their value estimated to be US$100,000. Three people were arrested, but only two were charged and were fined 0.2% of the market value of the skulls in their possession which equaled U$200.
Story #2: Check-in luggage with 400+ live animals
A male was arrested at Chennai International Airport in India after flying from Cambodia with 484 red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) and nine juvenile sulcata tortoises (Centrochelys sulcata) packed in his check-in luggage. This happened on April 12 but as yet there is no further information about his sentencing.
Story #3: Poachers with sponge-wear
A 12-year-old white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) was found killed and de-horned on farmland in Namibia. The poachers disguised their footprints by wrapping sponges around their shoes and later escaped in a vehicle that had a government license plate. This incident occurred on May 4 but its outcome is not yet available on the Wildlife Trade Portal.
Final thoughts
Despite all national and international efforts, little progress has been made in the fight against wildlife trafficking over the last two decades. The diversity of species, geographies, actors, and trafficking methods makes this a complex problem and corruption is undermining the success of ongoing efforts. According to the latest World Wildlife Crime Report, further research and data-based approaches such as criminal behavior forecasting will achieve better and faster results against wildlife trafficking. So, keep an eye on DevelopmentAid for the latest developments in this and other international development topics.
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