A groundbreaking study has found that the multi-billion dollar wildlife trade — whether legal or illegal — is pushing species toward extinction.
Animals get ripped from the wild and sold for the exotics pet industry, traditional medicine, ivory, and lab use in the wildlife trade. Some studies estimate that more than 100 million plants and animals get trafficked each year.
But the global impact of the wildlife trade on species hasn’t been extensively researched until now, when researchers from Sheffield University tackled the topic.
They found wildlife populations decreased by an average of 62 percent in areas where the wildlife trade flourished. They also found that endangered species are the most at risk — with average population declines of 81 percent.
The wildlife trade wiped out local species populations in certain areas, including spider monkeys and Baird’s Tapir, according to the study, which was published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.
Extinction at the local level makes extinction at the global level that much more possible, the researchers warned.
“The fact that we are seeing such severe declines over many different kinds of species and across different scales at which trade’s occurring – I think that is a surprise,” David Edwards, a professor of conservation science at Sheffield University, told The Guardian. “And I think it’s something we all need to be really concerned about.”
The researchers considered the impacts of both legal and illegal wildlife trading. Even in areas where the trade was considered “legal,” they found the practice to be “horrifically unsustainable.”
The conclusion for researchers is clear; we aren’t doing enough to protect our precious wildlife.
“Current protective measures fail species, with significant declines even where the harvesting for trade occurs in protected areas,” the researchers wrote in the study.
We need better protective measures for threatened species, at both local and international levels. Sign Lady Freethinker’s petition urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to protect pangolins, the world’s most trafficked animal, under the Endangered Species Act — ending a bloody, illegal trade that harms both animals and people.
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It’s not only the people’s fault, its the government and …. ALL !!!!! …. lawmakers who allow this travesty to continue because of money. Greed and corruption is truly the downfall of this country, actually the world. Everything cruel, evil and corrupt is all due to money. All the people in power seems to have the same mindset and act on GREED and CORRUPTION and look the other way when laws are broken, if its something in it for them, which is why thing are getting worse and worse in this world. Wildlife, climate change, poverty, homelessness, you name it, it all has to do with the people in power being greedy, corrupt, PATHETIC leaders.
Please stop the illegal wildlife trade of pangolins protect wildlife and pristine wilderness … put the traders of wildlife under supervised community service with ankle bands and pay off fines
So evil. These people need to be jailed
Please stop this horrible practice
Every child should be brought up to become an empathic human being, should not be indifferent to pain and suffering of the living creatures, be it human or animal.
Please, please dont killing animals, it is disgusting what we read abiut theese poor animals. God made a gift to us and we are not allowed to kill them.STOP right away please. This is not a game. God will avenge you one day for every one that kill theese poor animals. They dont do nothing to you. Leave them alone they want to live too. Yhank you
arretons le massacre
We need more laws to protect animals!
please stop wildlife trading, leave them alone, God did not create them for us to abuse.
If we are to survive as humans, we need to become more humane to all species we share our planet with. It is only a matter of time for our own extinction if we do not change our ways …. and we will have earned our loss of being.
It is horrifying to read about animal cruelty because it is EASY to treat animals kindly. They are just a handsome species who live on the same planet as we do and they ask nothing from us other than simple kindness. PLEASE, people, BE KIND to animals and they will love you for it.
Awful
Stop trafficking in wildlife period.
Disgusting
We need to save these animals.
STOP THIS CRUELTY!!!!
I refuse to be peaceful and family friendly. What the hell is wrong with this Godforsaken world. Stop torturing aminals. May God bring his wrath to these barbaric sadistic appalling insane behavior.
This is heartbreaking.
Animals are not meant to be treated this way! We need to do better as humans
When the mammals and animals start to continue to go extinct, were all next in that same fastlane and no one can stop it.
Say goodbye……..
Horrible
These species are to be protected from extinction and people who work on projects should be banned and arrest the people behind.
STOP ALL ANIMAL CRUELTY NOW!!
ANIMAL CRUELTY MUST BE STOPPED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been signing countless petitions for years asking for the protection of endangered species and so far it just seem that officials and lawmakers are just waiting for stories to die down so the people would forget until the next horror story comes along. We live in a world of men with no conscience and monsters.