Last March, Spanish authorities busted a widespread wildlife trafficking ring, as reported by Murcia Today, with 17 endangered species included in the haul.
What's happening?
The Guardia Civil, in collaboration with Málaga's Environmental Prosecutor's Office, recovered a flamingo, a marmoset monkey, and other protected species being smuggled by 26 people in Málaga.
The smugglers had been selling animals online and using "banned equipment such as nets and glue" to trap wild animals.
Live animals weren't all that authorities found. The smugglers, several of whom had an existing criminal record, also had tortoise shells, zebra skins, and caracal fur in their possession.
At the time of writing, the animals' fate post-investigation is unknown. Unfortunately, animals "rescued" from trafficking are often released into unsuitable environments or are smuggled again.
Why does wildlife trafficking matter?
Wildlife trafficking has both blatant ethical issues and long-term environmental consequences.
Firstly, the recovered animals are almost always found in terrible conditions. In Indonesia, for instance, thousands of songbirds were found packed tightly into boxes. Over 500 of them died in transit.
If wildlife trafficking continues, even more animals — and humans — could die as a result. When non-native animals are introduced to new ecosystems, they can quickly become invasive, harming biodiversity.
This can cost governments billions of dollars to rectify and, depending on the species, spread diseases among humans. It can also lead to native species' extinction, as they compete with invasive ones for resources.
What's being done about it?
Guardia Civil's Nature Protection Service continues to bust wildlife trafficking operations both within and outside of Spain. However, the illicit wildlife trade industry is still worth millions. As long as people continue to glorify ownership of "exotic" species, it will continue.
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