Wildlife Trafficking Deeply Entwined with Global Crime Networks

Save the floofs (and the no-so-floofy).

STARTER STATS

• The black market for illegal wildlife is worth roughly $20 billion annually

• Wildlife trafficking is the fourth-largest criminal enterprise after narcotics, human trafficking, and arms dealing

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A new study led by researchers at the University of Waterloo reveals that illegal wildlife trafficking is not just an environmental crisis — it’s connected to wider criminal enterprises. Traffickers actually exploit the same networks that move illicit drugs, arms, and people, suggesting that law enforcement should target the broader criminal web.

The research team mapped how wildlife trafficking overlaps with other serious crimes by analyzing cases in South Africa, Hong Kong and Canada. As part of their novel method, the team interviewed law enforcement and intelligence experts, sources typically hard to access publicly.

The work opens new avenues for policy and enforcement, such as tracking money flows and top-level actors, which could prove more effective than focusing solely on low-level offenders or on species protection. The findings also suggest that anti-wildlife-trafficking efforts could gain traction by coordinating with agencies fighting drugs, arms, and human-smuggling networks.

“Law enforcement agencies in South Africa, Hong Hong and Canada have identified links between this and other major crimes, which shows that wildlife trafficking is more than an environmental issue."

— Dr. Michelle Anagnostou

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