Global Wildlife Trade and Individual Animal Welfare

The international wildlife trade - both legal and illegal - affects hundreds of millions of individual animals, causing suffering at capture, transport, and in destination settings.

Key Facts

The legal wildlife trade is worth tens of billions of dollars annually
CITES regulates international trade in approximately 38,000 species
Illegal wildlife trafficking is the fourth largest global criminal enterprise by value
Transport mortality in live wildlife trade can reach 50-80% for some species
Animals confiscated from illegal trade face welfare challenges in sanctuary placement
Demand reduction in destination markets is critical to reducing supply-side harm
Traditional medicine markets in Asia drive significant demand for wild animal parts

Welfare Considerations

The welfare of individual animals in wildlife trade is catastrophic at every stage. Capture involves trapping, pursuit, and injury. Transport in cramped, poorly ventilated conditions with inadequate food and water causes deaths and chronic suffering. Survivors enter destination settings - private ownership, traditional medicine, display - that often fail to meet basic welfare needs. The solution requires simultaneous action on supply (enforcement), trade (CITES implementation), and demand (cultural change in consumer markets). Individual animal welfare must be central alongside conservation concerns.

What You Can Do

Never purchase wildlife products including skins, bones, or traditional medicines from wild species
Report suspected wildlife trafficking to TRAFFIC or border authorities
Support demand reduction campaigns in markets for wildlife products
Back organisations working on CITES implementation and enforcement
Learn about the welfare costs of wildlife trade and share this knowledge