A new report from the global nonprofit International Fund for Animal Welfare revealed that illegal wildlife trafficking has skyrocketed across Latin America in recent years.
Researchers warn that the worrying trend could threaten biodiversity in the region, which has already seen declining animal numbers due to rampant deforestation and development.
What's happening?
According to Mongabay, the report found that nearly 2,000 wildlife seizures and poaching incidents occurred between 2017 and 2022 in Hispanic America — which includes Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean and South and Central America.
More than 100,000 reptiles, birds, mammals, and amphibians were trafficked, with the latter accounting for over half of the rescued wildlife.
Polen Cisneros, project manager for IFAW's wildlife crime program, said it was "eye-opening" that nearly 93% of wildlife trafficking in the region involved live animals, meaning they would likely end up in the exotic pet trade.
More than half of the species weren't protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora — a global treaty that regulates international trade in endangered plants and animals. Mongabay said that, according to the Red List from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, 40 of the seized animals were classified as endangered and 13 as critically endangered.
"Wildlife trafficking in Hispanic America hasn't really gotten the same level of coverage and attention as wildlife trafficking in Africa, which is likely driven by Africa having more iconic species being trafficked," Faith Hornor, program director of wildlife crimes at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, told Mongabay. "But that doesn't mean that wildlife crime in Latin America doesn't exist — in fact, the numbers are quite alarming."
Why is wildlife trafficking concerning?
Latin America is considered one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, boasting a staggering 40% of Earth's plant and animal species. These include exotic animals such as green iguanas, poison dart frogs, mud turtles, blue macaws, parrots, jaguars, and pumas.
Owning wild pets has long been practiced in the region, but removing them from their natural habitats disrupts ecosystems and pushes endangered animals closer to extinction.
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Sounds great 👍 According to IFAW, it's also a serious animal welfare concern. Many are transported in horrific conditions and often don't survive the journey. If they do reach their destination, owners may realize they don't have the time or resources to care for wild pets and release them into ecosystems where they don't belong.
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When this happens, the species is considered invasive in that new area and may throw the ecosystem there out of balance. For example, invasive Burmese pythons have taken over the Florida Everglades. The situation has gotten so bad that the state is holding competitions with cash prizes to kill them.
Exotic pets may also carry diseases and parasites that are dangerous or fatal to humans.
What's being done about the illegal pet trade?
The IFAW urges Latin American countries to adopt stricter laws regarding the illegal wildlife trade, raise public awareness about the dangers of owning exotic pets, and more closely monitor wildlife crimes in the region.
Hornor also said imposing more severe consequences for traffickers may discourage them from taking part in the illegal wildlife trade.
"If you make the costs high, whether that's the actual cost to traffic, paying someone off becomes higher or harder, or the risk of getting caught or the jail time going up, the benefit of whatever they're receiving back in terms of profit is not going to be worth it at some point," she said.
Officials around the world have been cracking down on illegal wildlife poaching and smuggling, and we can help by staying informed about how it harms ecosystems — and therefore humans too.
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