Transnational Wildlife Trafficking - Thailand

Wildlife trafficking has presented itself as a large threat to endangered primate species and populations. Beyond what seemed to be a national and regional threat, as I wrote in my previous blog post, the issue has exacerbated to become a large transnational issue, highlighting the expansive trade network that is operating illegally.  

Last May, six people were arrested for attempting to illegally transport 48 lemurs and 1,200 tortoises. Unlike my last bog post, focusing on the less frequent trade of exotic animals, the vast number of lemurs and other species traded from Thailand represents a mass, organized trade. From the conservational level, the mass, organized trade is much more difficult to prevent and needs to be halted on a systemic level.  

The recent seizures of many endangered species emphasize the international reach of trafficking networks and Thailand as a hub for transshipment of illegal wildlife trade. In the May seizure, 16 ring-tailed lemurs and 32 common brown lemurs were taken, both species being listed either as vulnerable or endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. According to the IUCN, vulnerable means high risk of extinction in the future and endangered is very high risk of extinction in the future.  

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In fact, following deforestation, direct poaching, the pet trade, and trafficking comes as one of the largest threats to lemur species. This is especially alarming as the IUCN estimates that more than 98% of lemurs face extinction in the next 20 years. 

The lead of WWF Madagascar's antitrafficking team said that this large of a quantity being seized indicates that there is an organized network of traffickers, likely using the sea to transport these animals.  

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Following the additional seizure, it was reported that 30 additional primates were found at a farm. It seemed the shipment was headed to Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. The seizure was an international effort to thwart and prevent global wildlife trafficking networks that span Asia, Africa, and South America. More than 4,000 species are impacted by these trafficking networks, with the market valued at over $8 billion.  

The goal with the arrest and seizure is to create financial loss and fear from arrest to prevent trafficking. However, their efforts were not the most fruitful. Instead, it was found that these were not enough to impede trafficking and that the incentives still motivated people to continue. Furthermore, lots of bribery and corruption has allowed it to continue. It is also extremely difficult to maintain or mitigate costs after seizure, as the TSA reported it placed financial stress on them.  

The authorities discovered that the animals were stored in cramped conditions, held captive in cages and boxes. This connects to some of the principles discussed in the student-led discussion on primate trade. The captivity, harsh conditions for obtaining them causes harm to primate species. Furthermore, transport and captivity induce psychological stress and trauma, which sometimes cannot be reversed and cause long-term psychological impact on the animals which makes it difficult for them to be reinserted in their environment.  

On an organized level of trafficking, it has drastic effects on the environment, as it creates a large-scale impact, greatly reducing species in the ecosystem. This creates biodiversity loss, worsens climate change, fuels conflict, and destroys communities within the ecosystem.  


Sources (For Content + Images):

https://news.mongabay.com/2024/06/madagascar-lemurs-tortoises-seized-in-thai-bust-reveal-reach-of-wildlife-trafficking/

https://www.lemurreserve.org/lemurs/#:~:text=Lemurs%20are%20among%20the%20most,in%20the%20next%2020%20years.

https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2025/Nearly-20-000-live-animals-seized-365-suspects-arrested-in-largest-ever-wildlife-and-forestry-operation

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2024/May/despite-two-decades-of-concerted-action--wildlife-trafficking-persists-worldwide-with-more-than-4-000-species-affected--says-new-unodc-world-wildlife-crime-report.html

https://www.ice.gov/features/wildlife

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/conservation-science/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2024.1400613/full

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