A disturbing new trend has been flagged by wildlife nongovernmental organizations in India.
These crimes are happening under the guise of transfers between zoos and rehabilitation and rescue centers across the globe, The Wire reported.
What's happening?
A growing number of wildlife species are being smuggled into illegal wildlife trade networks. Traffickers are exploiting legal loopholes and weak enforcement mechanisms to smuggle endangered and exotic animals across country lines.
At the heart of this trafficking scheme is the misuse of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora permits.
These legal documents were allegedly reused, forged, or fraudulently obtained.
Green-collar traffickers — those who hide behind legitimate operations — are especially dangerous because they exploit the very systems meant to protect animals.
"Findings show that these green-collar perpetrators are experts regarding the rules and regulations and know how to use loopholes to dodge law enforcement," wrote Daan van Uhm, associate professor of criminology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, in a book chapter on wildlife trafficking, per The Wire.
If left unchecked, this trade could lead to the spread of diseases, including those that are transmissible to humans, and permanently shift India's ecological balance.
Why is wildlife trafficking important?
Smuggling exotic species across countries affects animal welfare, disease transmission, and the stability of local ecosystems.
Invasive species have demonstrated time and time again that they can overrun native habitats, disrupt biodiversity, and create public health emergencies.
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Absolutely 👍 This illegal trade could lead to an unprecedented spread of disease and ruin the populations of already endangered animals.
Meanwhile, removing threatened species from their native habitats damages the populations there and those of other species linked to them.
Calls are growing louder for stronger oversight of CITES permits, increased transparency in wildlife transfers, and deep audits of newly established private zoos and rescue centers — especially in high-risk countries named in the alert, such as India, the United Arab Emirates, and the Congo.
What's being done about wildlife trafficking?
Though frameworks such as CITES exist to combat these issues, this story shows that the enforcement remains inconsistent.
Many organizations have taken public stands to do what they can to fight against animal trafficking.
Emirates SkyCargo, a global shipping company, announced that it refuses to ship hunting trophies of certain species.
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