New film calls on G20 world leaders to end the horrors of the global wildlife trade

As the G20 leaders gather in Italy on Halloween (October 30/31), billions of wild animals around the world continue to live a nightmare at the hands of the brutal wildlife trade.

This horrifying industry keeps animals captive and caged in cramped, squalid conditions – treating them as commodities, not sentient, living creatures that feel pain.

And while animals suffer, their exploitation creates dangerous environments that act as a hotbed for emerging infectious diseases, putting us all at risk of the next global pandemic.

Our new short film ‘Horrors of the Wildlife Trade’ exposes the true horrors of the wildlife trade as World Animal Protection once again calls on G20 leaders to come together to change lives and end the cruel exploitation of animals – for wildlife, people and the planet. 

Exposing cruelty

The Horrors of the Wildlife Trade, by Aaron Gekoski, opens with some haunting images of animal suffering in the wildlife trade, while showing that uniting to demand change for animals can result in changing lives. Forever.

The internationally acclaimed environmental photojournalist and film-maker has dedicated his life’s work to ending the exploitation of wildlife, witnessing and capturing terrible animal suffering along the way.

This new film highlights how the fate of animals, people and our global economy rests in the hands of G20 leaders, who have the opportunity to address this terrible suffering, while preventing the next pandemic - by ending the devastating global wildlife trade.

Wildlife trade in Canada

Canada is not exempt from contributing to the horrors of both the legal and illegal wildlife trade. Did you know that Canada plays a significant role in the global commercial wildlife trade? Our government allows millions of wild animals and products made from them to pass across our borders for exotic pets, Traditional Asian Medicine, hunting trophies, fashion, trinkets and entertainment.

In fact:

• Between 2014-2020, an estimated 2 million wild animals were imported into Canada from 79 different countries, including known emerging disease hotspots. And more than 90% were not subject to any government permits, restrictions or pathogen screening.
• An increasing number of animals are being imported to supply the exotic pet trade. An estimated 1.4 million wild animals are kept as pets in Canada; this demand fuels the alarming rates of exotic pet import, export, and breeding in Canada.
• A decline in wild populations of black bears in Asia has resulted in the hunting and poaching of Canadian black bears for gall bladders to supply the traditional medicine market in Asia.
• Canada is one of the largest exporters of wildlife trophies.
• There are approximately 125 mink and fox farms in Canada, that keep more than 300,000 animals in intensive conditions to supply fur.
• Canada is still home to roadside zoos and mobile zoos.

Survey data tells us that 70% of Canadians support a ban on the commercial trade in wild animals, with 1 out of 5 Canadians being in support of better regulations and measures to control the trade. It’s clear that there is not only a need, but a demand, for Canada to improve legislation dedicated to animal welfare, public health, and the environment.

Join us again

In 2020, as the pandemic gripped the world, we gathered over one million signatures from people across the globe, demanding the world’s key decision makers to address the real threat of the wildlife trade. Sadly, our voices were largely ignored. This needs to change.

The theme of this year’s G20 summit is People, Planet and Prosperity. The wildlife trade threatens all three by directly impacting billions of animals, human health, global and local economies, biodiversity and our planet.

Our leaders must act to end the exploitation of animals. Because when they suffer, we all suffer.

Please join us again to urge G20 leaders to take action now to curb the global commercial wildlife trade.  

Watch the film and sign our petition calling on the Canadian government to support and champion a global ban on the wildlife trade.