The legal and illegal wildlife trade causes immense suffering, from capture trauma and transport mortality to the lifelong welfare deficits experienced by exotic animals kept as pets.
The welfare costs of the wildlife trade are distributed across the entire supply chain: capture stress, crowded and unsanitary transport conditions, high mortality, and then years or decades of deprivation for survivors sold as pets. Species with complex social structures like parrots and primates suffer particularly from isolation. Even well-intentioned owners typically cannot provide appropriate environmental complexity, conspecific companionship, and space. Reducing demand for exotic pets and supporting strong trade regulation are among the most impactful wildlife welfare interventions available.