Gaps in Wildlife Trade Monitoring Leave Amphibians Vulnerable

We document trade of the Clouded Leopard Neofelis nebulosa in Nepal based on pelt seizure reports published in wildlife trade reports and in newspapers. Just 27 cases in three decades seem little to suggest targeted illegal trade of the species, the seizure information in recent years indicate that illegal trade of Clouded Leopard body parts is still taking place. Hence an in-depth assessment is necessary to understand properly the intensity and magnitude of illegal trade on Clouded Leopard in the country.

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Anthropomorphic Strategies Promote Wildlife Conservation through Empathy: The Moderation Role of the Public Epidemic Situation

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18073565 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (7) ◽

pp. 3565

Author(s):

Dan Yue ◽

Zepeng Tong ◽

Jianchi Tian ◽

Yang Li ◽

Linxiu Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Behavioral Intention ◽

Wildlife Conservation ◽

Negative Emotion ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Negative Emotions ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Wildlife Trade ◽

Illegal Wildlife Trade ◽

The Impact

The global illegal wildlife trade directly threatens biodiversity and leads to disease outbreaks and epidemics. In order to avoid the loss of endangered species and ensure public health security, it is necessary to intervene in illegal wildlife trade and promote public awareness of the need for wildlife conservation. Anthropomorphism is a basic and common psychological process in humans that plays a crucial role in determining how a person interacts with other non-human agents. Previous research indicates that anthropomorphizing nature entities through metaphors could increase individual behavioral intention of wildlife conservation. However, relatively little is known about the mechanism by which anthropomorphism influences behavioral intention and whether social context affects the effect of anthropomorphism. This research investigated the impact of negative emotions associated with a pandemic situation on the effectiveness of anthropomorphic strategies for wildlife conservation across two experimental studies. Experiment 1 recruited 245 college students online and asked them to read a combination of texts and pictures as anthropomorphic materials. The results indicated that anthropomorphic materials could increase participants’ empathy and decrease their wildlife product consumption intention. Experiment 2 recruited 140 college students online and they were required to read the same materials as experiment 1 after watching a video related to epidemics. The results showed that the effect of wildlife anthropomorphization vanished if participants’ negative emotion was aroused by the video. The present research provides experimental evidence that anthropomorphic strategies would be useful for boosting public support for wildlife conservation. However, policymakers and conservation organizations must be careful about the negative effects of the pandemic context, as the negative emotions produced by it seems to weaken the effectiveness of anthropomorphic strategies.

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Money Laundering and the Illegal Wildlife Trade in China (DOS)

Federal Grants & Contracts ◽

10.1002/fgc.31739 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 45 (12) ◽

pp. 6-6

Keyword(s):

Money Laundering ◽

Wildlife Trade ◽

Illegal Wildlife Trade

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Surviving the Wildlife Trade in Southeast Asia: Reforming the ‘Disposal’ of Confiscated Live Animals under CITES

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11020439 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 439

Author(s):

Shannon N. Rivera ◽

Andrew Knight ◽

Steven P. McCulloch

Keyword(s):

Southeast Asia ◽

Wildlife Trade ◽

Wildlife Crime ◽

Political Will ◽

Live Animal ◽

Wild Fauna ◽

Animal Management ◽

Demand Reduction ◽

Global Demand ◽

In Captivity

Increased focus on the illegal global wildlife trade has resulted in greater numbers of live animals confiscated by authorities, increasing the need to manage these animals responsibly. Most wildlife seizures take place in Southeast Asia, with global demand for live animals fuelling much of the trafficking. Guidelines for the ‘disposal’ of live specimens are provided by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), although individual Parties must implement provisions through national laws and regulations. ‘Disposal’ is the term used for the management of illegally traded wildlife upon confiscation. Confiscated live animals can be euthanised (i.e., killed), repatriated to their native country and released, or kept in captivity. This study investigates barriers to proper care and disposal of confiscated live animals in Southeast Asia, where roughly one quarter of the global multibillion dollar illegal wildlife trade takes place. Interviews were conducted with 18 professionals working within conservation, wildlife crime, and confiscated live animal management. Eight limitations to the proper care and disposal of confiscated wildlife were identified: (1) political will, (2) policy, (3) funding, (4) capacity, (5) expertise (6) attitudes and behaviours, (7) exploitation, and (8) corruption. Based on interviews, we propose seven key reforms to support the efficient and humane management of illegally traded wildlife for national authorities and CITES parties. These are wildlife seizure management, legislative support, enhanced political will, demand reduction, global participation, registry of rescue centres, and terminology change. This research highlights major barriers to the proper care and disposal of live confiscated animals and proposes key reforms to improve the conservation of threatened species and the welfare of millions of illegally traded animals.

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Animal sales from Wuhan wet markets immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-91470-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Xiao Xiao ◽

Chris Newman ◽

Christina D. Buesching ◽

David W. Macdonald ◽

Zhao-Min Zhou

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Human Health ◽

Biodiversity Conservation ◽

Wildlife Trade ◽

Wild Animals ◽

Protected Species ◽

Zoonotic Infections ◽

Global Biodiversity ◽

Poor Welfare

AbstractHere we document 47,381 individuals from 38 species, including 31 protected species sold between May 2017 and November 2019 in Wuhan’s markets. We note that no pangolins (or bats) were traded, supporting reformed opinion that pangolins were not likely the spillover host at the source of the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While we caution against the misattribution of COVID-19’s origins, the wild animals on sale in Wuhan suffered poor welfare and hygiene conditions and we detail a range of other zoonotic infections they can potentially vector. Nevertheless, in a precautionary response to COVID-19, China’s Ministries temporarily banned all wildlife trade on 26th Jan 2020 until the COVID-19 pandemic concludes, and permanently banned eating and trading terrestrial wild (non-livestock) animals for food on 24th Feb 2020. These interventions, intended to protect human health, redress previous trading and enforcement inconsistencies, and will have collateral benefits for global biodiversity conservation and animal welfare.

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