On April 4, officials at a Thailand airport seized 21 large foam boxes from a man traveling to Uzbekistan.
In the boxes, they found 21 rare animals illegal for exportation, including some critically endangered species, according to Good Good Good.
What's happening?
Sadudee Phanpakdee, director of Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, confirmed the seizure of 21 animals from the Suvarnabhumi Airport.
A 52-year-old, known as Mr. Buriev according to a Facebook post from the Department, was attempting to fly to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, when his 21 boxes were seized.
In many of the boxes, there were legal "aquatic plants and animals." However, the final boxes contained three species that were not permitted.
"The last crates contained rare animals that were not permitted for export, including 10 iguanas in three plastic crates, six freshwater crocodiles in three plastic crates, and five horned frogs in one plastic crate," an official said on Facebook, as Good Good Good shared.
In a Facebook post, the Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation shared images of the animals in plastic crates.
Without proper documentation, Mr. Buriev was pressed on three charges, including "attempting to export protected and controlled wildlife without permission according to the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act."
Fortunately, all 21 animals were alive and given to the proper wildlife care organizations.
"The iguanas were sent to the Wildlife Health Management Group, Wildlife Conservation Office, Department of National Parks, while the freshwater crocodiles and horned frogs are under the care of the Suvarnabhumi Airport Fisheries Checkpoint," the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said, per Good Good Good.
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Definitely 👍 Why is animal trafficking important?
Wildlife trade is a large industry.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, records show approximately "100 million tonnes of fish, 1.5 million live birds and 440,000 tonnes of medicinal plants" have been trafficked in just one year. The United Nations finds that illegal smuggling of animals, or animal trafficking, has put 4,000 animal and plant species at risk.
In Thailand, freshwater crocodiles, or Siamese crocodiles, are critically endangered. According to the WWF, there are fewer than 1,000 left in the world. This is mainly due to "wetland degradation and overhunting," as Good Good Good reported.
In addition to putting a species in danger, illegal wildlife smuggling can threaten other ecosystems. When introduced to a new ecosystem, an invasive species, one that is not native to an area, can create population decreases and slow reproduction rates of species in that ecosystem.
Invasive species can also introduce new infections and diseases that impact human health and cost millions each year through economic destruction.
Thailand has been at the center of some high-profile animal trafficking cases in recent news. According to CNN, over 1,000 endangered tortoises and lemurs were sent back to Madagascar after they were seized in the southern Thai province of Chumphon in May 2024.
What's being done about animal trafficking?
According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, while endangered species have gone down, there is no indication that illegal trade of animals, a nearly $10 billion industry, is slowing.
Fortunately, there have been efforts to stop animal trafficking. In 2024, an international operation seized 20,000 live animals of endangered or protected species.
As invasive species also threaten ecosystems, officials and communities have found unique ways to get rid of them, from eating invasive crabs in New England to volunteer cleanups in Hawai'i.
From Spain to the U.S., officials have been cracking down on animal trafficking. Thailand aims to "suppress the illegal trade of wildlife and rare animals between countries," according to a translated Facebook post, "including illegal wildlife breeding, online trading, border trade, and illegal import and export of wildlife, which is a major problem affecting biodiversity worldwide."
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