Building a world better for wild animals

The coronavirus’ likely link to a wildlife market – spaces where live and dead animals are sold, and are often kept in crowded conditions – is shining a harsh spotlight on the cruel treatment of animals globally for commercial gain. It’s also showing the world-shattering effects that trading wild animals can have on human health.  

This gives us an unprecedented opportunity and an urgent, extraordinary task –  to end the wildlife trade.

“The whole organisation is really excited about this. Out of all the despair the coronavirus has presented us with, there is a ray of hope and that is making the world better for wildlife. We see it as our mission to make sure that happens,” says Kate Nustedt, our global director of animals in the wild.

“Our entire organisation’s focus has been redirected to stop wild animals being traded globally and within countries too. The demand for wild animals for use in medicine, for food, to be kept as pets or for that once in a lifetime vacation experience causes them mass suffering. It’s now clear that this demand also comes at the cost of human health, the environment, and the economy.”

70% of emerging infectious diseases originate from wild animals – snatching animals from their homes puts us all at risk

Making the links

Without global and domestic action to protect wildlife and end the trade, future wild animal-linked pandemics will become increasingly likely and worse.

“We have been warning of the threats and dangers of treating wild animals cruelly and the links with zoonotic diseases – those that transfer from animals to humans. Wild animals are thought to be the source of at least 70% of all emerging zoonotic infectious diseases.

 “We have seen the links with Ebola and SARS for example. But I couldn’t have imagined that what we are seeing would be on this massive, global scale, rather than restricted to a specific region or connecting countries,” says Kate.

Kate explains that the problem must be seen as global and linked to the current acceptability of commodifying wild animals. Consequently, our campaign tackles all ways and areas where wild animals are traded – whether for use as entertainers, pets, medicine or products.

Image: Arief Budi Kusuma / shutterstock.com. Unnecessary exploitation: pangolins, a small scaley animal hunted for use traditional medicine, are the world’s most trafficked mammals

Trading cruelty

Examples of farmed wild animals include the 24,000 bears farmed in Asia for their bile for use in traditional Asian medicine. In South Africa, lions are bred and farmed for people’s entertainment – including for ‘selfies’ and trophy hunting – and for export into the traditional Asian medicine trade. Over 1,500 tigers are living in captivity in Thailand alone. These tigers have either been traded, many of them illegally, or bred into a lifetime of suffering for entertainment.

“Every minute of every day, animals are taken from the wild and exploited for commercial gain. This includes being traded for tourism, as exotic pets and as medicine. And the main reason for this is worldwide demand,” says Kate.

Over the next few months, we’ll press global leaders of the G20, meeting in Saudi Arabia in November, to commit to a global ban on the wildlife trade. This highly influential body is an international forum for the governments and central bank governors from 19 countries and the European Union.

The G20 is important because it carries enormous economic and political weight; its member governments typically move more quickly than most UN institutions. There are fewer individual countries and fewer formal processes.

A baby tiger spends the entire day in this tiny cage; tourists pay to feed these baby tigers with milk

Deep commitment

“It’s really inspiring for us all because we know what a difference it will make based on our work in different countries and in different contexts. World Animal Protection people are a special bunch, highly committed, passionate, deeply knowledgeable and committed to bringing lasting changes for wild animals. And it is people like this and our supporters that make change happen," says Kate.

She says there are also actions that we can all take in our everyday lives to stop the trade.

“We can tell our communities, our friends and families, when we do start travelling again, why they shouldn’t go on that elephant ride or  sign up for that dolphin experience, for example. And why it’s not a good idea to have an exotic pet or buy that wild animal product. Just speaking out in these simple ways will help drive down demand and help save wild animals from suffering.” 

Together, we can keep animals in the wild – where they belong

Our message is clear

Wild animals belong in the wild. When they are left in the wild and people keep a safe distance and protect wild habitats, the planet becomes a much safer, healthier place.

And the problem cannot be perceived as isolated to wildlife markets.

The threats of zoonotic disease transmission are inherent in every step of the wildlife trade, whether it’s legal and illegal makes no difference. This includes capture, farming, transport, physical trade or online and any keeping  or use of wild animals by people.

Sign our petition now to end the wildlife trade. Forever.