Charity Finds Endangered Animals Traded on Internet

Vast quantities of wildlife products and live animals are being traded illegally on the internet.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said the soaring and lucrative trade was driving the world’s most endangered species to the brink of extinction and causing untold suffering.

Every day thousands of wild animals and animal parts, from live chimpanzees and huge ivory tusks to tiny dried seahorses, are being traded in cyberspace.

IFAW said its three-month inquiry showed how in just one week more than 9,000 live animals or products were for sale online in chatrooms and on legitimate trading sites such as eBay. At least 70 percent of these were from species protected by international law.

The investigation was restricted to five categories of animals, so the findings represent the tip of the iceberg.

IFAW said its report “Caught in the web, wildlife trade on the internet” will add to conservationists’ fears that the growing and largely unchecked internet trade could spell disaster for endangered species.

Many of these animals are being targeted by poachers to meet the demands of wealthy consumers around the world, as well as being traded as pets.

The high profits and low penalties of illegal wildlife trade, coupled with the low risk of detection, provides little or no deterrent to organised criminal groups.

IFAW found some of the world’s most endangered species advertised online and almost all of them were being traded illegally.

Exotic pets including a live gorilla for sale in London, a Siberian tiger and four baby chimps found on US websites