Endangered species face more threats as wildlife trafficking rise

A Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) ranger stands guard in front of illegal stockpiles of burning elephant tusks at the Nairobi National Park on April 30, 2016. [AFP]

A report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on wildlife crime has unearthed over 140,000 records of wildlife seizures that took place between 2015 and 2021.

The report titled, 'World Wildlife Crime Report 2024', unravels the new data, trends and threats in combating illegal wildlife trade in 162 countries.

In its detailed data drawn from the standardised seizure index, it is emerging that wildlife trafficking persists worldwide despite two-decade-long efforts to end the vice both at international and national levels.

"Analysis in the current report demonstrates that the global scope and overall scale of wildlife trafficking remain substantial," states the report.

It also adds, "Seizures document illegal trade in 162 countries and territories during 2015-2021 affecting around 4,000 plant and animal species, approximately 3,250 of them listed in the CITES Appendices."

The report, which was released in May revealed that Sub-Saharan Africa led in the percentage share of seizure records by sub-region of shipping origin during the period.

19 per cent of the seizures originated from Africa, while South Asia contributes 9 per cent, Asia and East Asia 4 per cent each.

During the period, rhinos, pangolins and elephants formed the bulk of the most affected species that recorded illegal wildlife trade based on the standardised seizure index.

Rhinos accounted for 29 per cent of all the animal species, followed by pangolins, which accounted for 28 per cent and elephants 15 per cent respectively. During the period, eels, crocodiles, parrots, turtles, snakes and seahorses also made to the list.

Cedars, mahogany and rosewood form the bulk of plants that were highly and illegally traded during the period.

The report noted that Shark fins, pangolins and eels, were mostly sought in bulk for food while seahorses, big cat bones and pangolins were mostly targeted for medicine. African grey parrots, iguanas, cacti and orchids were trafficked in masses as pets and ornamental plants.

The UN report observes that thousands of threatened wildlife species are affected by wildlife trafficking, yet some of those worst affected receive little public attention. Of the 1,652 mammal, bird, reptile and amphibian species recorded in seizures, 40 per cent have been classified as Threatened or Near Threatened species.

"In fact, some of the clearest examples of conservation harm caused by wildlife crime receive comparatively little attention, such as the illegal collection of succulent plants and rare orchids, and the trafficking of a wide range of reptiles, fish, birds, and mammals for which illegal trade appears to have played a major role in local or global extinctions," observes the UN report.

The global body also warns that beyond the threat to individual species, wildlife trafficking harms ecosystems and their climate-related functions.

It notes that wildlife traffickers are, however, adaptable and adjusting their methods and routes in response to regulatory changes to exploit differences between legal regimes, enforcement gaps and new market trends.

The report also recommends that criminal justice responses should be modernised, strengthened and harmonised from source to end markets.