Wildlife

Wildlife Crime and Individual Animal Welfare

Wildlife trafficking and poaching cause significant individual suffering beyond population-level conservation impacts.

Key Facts

Wildlife crime is estimated to generate 23 billion dollars annually as the fourth largest illegal trade
Live animal transport in illegal trafficking involves extreme crowding and mortality rates of 60-80%
Ivory poaching tears apart elephant family units with lasting psychological trauma
Wildlife crime intersects with organized crime making enforcement extremely challenging

Welfare Considerations

The welfare costs of wildlife crime are rarely emphasized in conservation messaging focused on species survival. Individual animals in transit die from dehydration, asphyxiation, and injury. Those surviving transport face lives in inappropriate captivity. The terror and injury of poaching events cause acute suffering regardless of population-level impacts.

What You Can Do

Never purchase wildlife products including ivory, tortoiseshell, or exotic skins
Report suspected wildlife crime to national wildlife crime units
Support frontline rangers with donations to organizations providing equipment and training
Advocate for stronger sentencing for wildlife trafficking offenses