The global wildlife trade causes suffering at every stage from capture to consumption. Understanding its scope and welfare impacts helps advocates prioritize interventions for this major welfare crisis.
The wildlife trade causes welfare harm at every stage of the supply chain. Wild capture is typically traumatic — trapping, netting, and collection from nests are stressful and injury-prone. Transport in cramped, dark conditions without adequate food, water, or temperature management causes suffering and death at high rates. Animals that survive to sale may be kept in inadequate conditions for extended periods. Even legal wildlife trade involves welfare compromise that ranges from modest to severe depending on species and route. Consumer demand reduction — the most effective long-term intervention — requires campaigns that address cultural drivers of demand particularly for traditional medicine and luxury wildlife products.