Wildlife crimes never end. In today's article, we're going to learn about Wildlife smuggling. Wildlife smuggling also known as wildlife trafficking involves gathering, transporting, and distributing animals illegally. This is both done internationally and domestically. Many products like jewelry, clothing, medicines, exotic pets, and food are made from body parts of animals such as shells, tusks, horns, skins, fins, and even internal organs. Smuggled wildlife is globally increasing in high demand. Wildlife smuggling directly affects the biodiversity of different ecosystems. The decline in a certain species is clearly visible in their habitats. Throughout the last hundred years, around twenty animals are extinct due to poaching and illegal smuggling. Did you know Wildlife smuggling is also a hazard to human health? Yes, The spread of animal-borne disease affects both human health as well as threatening indigenous wildlife and natural ecosystems. There are a few diseases such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), Avian flu (H5N1), Monkeypox, and Ebola virus. These are all diseases that can spread to humans. They are usually caused when certain animals such as poultry are consumed or when an animal scratches, bites, or even comes in contact with a human.
