From rhino horns, to pangolin scales to rosewood, the world has seen increases and decreases in the illicit trade of plants and animals during the recent five-year period, according to a new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs a Crime. The World Wildlife Crime Report found that along with threatening endangered species, wildlife crimes and exploitation of nature can promote climate change as well as negatively impact public health because of zoonotic disease transmissions.
We sat down with Arnold Kreilhuber, Acting Director of the United Nations Environment Programme’s UNEP Law Division, and Susan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division, to discuss the findings of the study and what can be done to stem the illegal animal trade.
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