Animal trafficking in Colombia

Definition:

Animal trafficking is now the fourth-largest illegal industry in Colombia, after drugs, guns and human trafficking, reported RCN Radio.

 URRAS director Claudia Brevia explains that the industry is diverse. Parrots, macaws and monkeys are the most vulnerable animals in the live trade. Deer, tapir and peccaries, meanwhile, are poached for their meat, while alligators and caimans hides are valuable trade commodities, and iguana and turtle populations are pillaged for their eggs.

Links to Drugs:

According to crime analysis site Insight Crime, the same routes used by drug smugglers transporting narcotics to the U.S. and Europe are also frequented by Colombia’s animal traffickers.

A Diverse Burden:

Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth according to the International Convention on Biological Diversity.  Unfortunately this natural richness lends itself to large profits in illicit animal trafficking. Read more