Investigators say internet trade in endangered animals is (1) and could wipe out entire species.
Thousands of endangered animals supposedly (2) are being traded openly on the internet and sold as “exotic pets”, say wildlife crime investigators working with an international animal charity.
An investigation of nearly 100 websites (3) found a “shocking” selection of rare and endangered animals for sale. They included a hand-reared Siberian tiger (£40,000), an adolescent gorilla (£4,500) (4) , and other rare primates, falcons, seahorses, and whole shells of turtles.
The gorilla for sale in London may not have actually existed, said an IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) spokeswoman yesterday. “Possibly it was advertised by (5) which would capture an animal to order.”
Guaranteed to be real, however, were the turtle-shells, shawls made from the Tibetan antelope and a stuffed tiger, (6) but looking suspiciously fresh.
The internet has revolutionised shopping for books, DVDs and airline tickets, but it has also opened up great opportunities to deal in illegal wildlife, which, according to the UN, is worth billions of pounds a year and now rivals (7) in scale.
“This trade has devastating implications for both wildlife conservation and animal welfare. Entire populations of certain species risk (8) by overexploitation. Millions of animals suffer immensely during hunting or in transit and captivity. Many die and this results in more (9) from the wild”, the IFAW spokeswoman said.
Trade on the internet is easy, cheap and anonymous. It is clear that unscrupulous traders and criminal gangs are taking advantage of (10) . The result is a cyber black market where the future of the world’s rarest animals is being traded away.