Wildlife crime — including poaching, illegal trade, and habitat destruction — causes immense suffering to wild animals. Weak enforcement remains a major barrier to protecting wildlife globally.
Wildlife crime inflicts severe welfare harms on animals: live capture for trade involves transport in cramped conditions with high mortality; poaching causes direct injury and death; habitat destruction eliminates food, shelter, and breeding sites for entire populations. The suffering is compounded by the fact that enforcement is patchy, penalties are low, and detection rates are poor. Strengthening wildlife crime enforcement requires increased funding for ranger services, anti-corruption measures, consumer demand reduction in destination markets, and international cooperation through frameworks like CITES. Targeting high-value criminal networks rather than low-level actors is essential for impact.