Much controversy has arisen over Cecil the lion, who was killed, skinned and beheaded by a dentist from Minnesota looking for a trophy. The slaying of a protected and revered animal drew criticism from national media and social media and forced the man responsible into hiding. However, this is just one example of an exotic animal killed for its skin, head, or body parts. These unique species are often smuggled or illegally traded, transported through grueling conditions, and forced into unnatural environments . Read on to learn about the exotic animal trade–from hunting to breeding and trafficking.

Live Animal Trading

Traded animals come from a variety of sources, including from being captured in the wild to being sold as surplus from zoos or zoo-like institutions. These animals are then sold over the internet or through live auctions. Both marketplaces are poorly regulated, although auctions are regulated through the Animal Welfare Act and any state regulations that might also apply.

In addition to acquiring these animals through smuggling, Americans began breeding their own exotic animals beginning in the 1960s and 70s. Due to the high profitability of selling these animals, breeding has become a successful industry. The increased value often comes from restaurants seeking alternative types of meat or for hides.  High import taxes, which have  reduced poaching, also make breeding a profitable option for American sellers who can potentially benefit from decreased competition and expenses.

Wherever animals are bought and sold, they often face poor treatment from their new owners, even unintentionally. For companies, this is frequently a result of economics–it is usually cheaper to let an animal die or not treat it than it is to pay for a veterinarian. In the case of private individuals, animals are often bought without the knowledge of how to care for them, particularly in the case of exotic species. Unsurprisingly, this can lead to a high rate of abnormal behavior, sickness, and even death amongst animals living in new environments.

Perhaps the most gruesome and public incident occurred four years ago in Zanesville, Ohio. In 2011, a caretaker of large exotic animals released many of them before killing himself. Most of the animals were then subsequently killed by authorities, including endangered species such as lions, tigers, bears, and wolves.  In this case, local authorities unfamiliar with how to trap these exotic species resorted to killing them in order to protect the public.

Transporting animals illegally also presents significant challenges. When shipping animals to evade authorities, many of the animals transported actually die in transit.  While exact figures are not entirely clear and are often exaggerated to drum up action, the laundering of animals in ways such as the one used by a man who strapped lizards to his chest when passing through LAX can lead to high mortality rates. The following video gives an inside look into the exotic animal trade:

Fur and Pelt Trade

In the Wild

Various animals and plants are hunted for a number of reasons. However, continued hunting has left many of these animals and plants at endangered levels or very near to it. Perhaps the most affected are large mammals, as well as sharks and whales. While these animals can be hunted for meat, more often they are hunted for sport, either for the head or other body parts.

While it is illegal to hunt these animals without a permit, if the hunter is willing to pay enough he or she can hunt virtually every animal on or approaching the endangered species list; the idea is the money spent killing them can then be used in protecting healthier members of the same species. This includes lions and even black-horned rhinos, one of the most endangered species in the world.  In fact the right to kill one such rhino last year, a rhino past his effective breeding age, generated 350,000 dollars for Namibia to use for its conservation efforts.

In Captivity

As an alternative to the wild, exotic animals are also bred on farms. These farms often exist for the express purpose of producing furs. The value of animal furs cannot be understated in history, as it was a main source of development for Europeans in modern-day North America and Russia. Currently, most of the furs used for clothing come from animals raised on fur farms. The United States is home to many such places, however, China is quickly dominating more and more of the fur farm market.  The following video provides some details on the lives of animals raised on fur farms:

Aside from raising animals on farms for fur, they are also being bred on ranches. In this case, for half a century exotic animals have been brought up in ranches in Texas with the express purpose of hunting them. In the view of those running such ranches, this allows hunters to get out their desire to hunt these animals in a controlled setting and thus reduce the need for killing them in the wild.  The video below looks at the ranches in  Texas:

Method to the Madness

The reasons why people kill these exotic animals include use in religious ceremonies, for food or clothing, and even to use them as trophies. The most common underlying motive, though, seems to be for profit. Killing most animals is allowed by governments for the right price and with the proper licensing.  Walt Palmer, the dentist who shot Cecil the lion for example, reportedly claimed to have paid more than $50,000 dollars and obtained the proper permits to kill the animal. The return on this investment–whether it be a trophy, skin, or head–to the hunter can more than make up the cost in hunting, especially if the hunt is orchestrated illegally.

Tigers, for example, can fetch as much as $15,000 for their skins. In fact, the profitability of killing and selling animals is so great that is has become the sphere of organized crime. These professional criminals employ every means from using helicopters to night-vison goggles to body armor to kill their prey.

Regulating the Animal and Fur Trade

According to the Michigan State Animal Legal and Historical Center, while few states require anything more than permits for hunting, the United States has several federal laws that seek to prevent the killing of animals for fur, including the Lacey Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Fur Seal Act and the Endangered Species Act deal. Additionally, the Fur Products Labeling Act requires precise labeling on clothing of exactly what type of fur is being used. There is also the Dog and Cat Fur Protection Act, which prevents using fur from those animals in clothing. However, these laws are ultimately aimed at stopping the fur trade from wild animals, not those bred on fur farms.

The U.S. government sees fur farms like most other farms, leaving them under the authority of the Department of Agriculture. While the United States has laws against animal cruelty, there are very few other protections in place. However, some other countries have much stricter fur regulations. In fact, the UK, Austria, and Croatia ban fur farms entirely.

Conclusion

Killing and illegally transporting is a problem, but a problem that begs the question: how much more can be done? More laws and agencies can continue to be created with the goal being to stop this industry, but like with drugs or gambling, after a while more restrictions stop having any more effect.  Existing laws have been somewhat successful, particularly using the money for the right to kill animals to reinvest in protecting them, a fact even acknowledged by the World Wildlife Fund. Furthermore, like those industries, these laws fail to get at the root of the problem: the demand for these animals and their skins. No matter how many poachers or hunters get arrested there will always be someone else to take their place, especially when it offers a lucrative job for a person in need.

There are several alternatives to the hunting and poaching of these animals in the wild, like fur farms and ranches. However these also draw a great deal of criticism which puts hunters in a somewhat difficult position where they face criticism for hunting animals in the wild and on ranches whose sole purpose is hunting.

Either way, while major news outlets and social media platforms crackle with indignation over the death of one lion, it appears if people at times lose track of more important issues. While high-profile events like the killing of Cecil the lion gain a lot of attention and may even spark public outcry, focusing on individual cases may cause people to lose sight of the issues with the animal trade as a whole. The industry is likely to continue as long as people have a desire to hunt, the price is right, and society lacks a proper understanding of how these animals are treated.

Resources

Born Free USA: The Dirty Side of the Exotic Animal Trade

Michigan State University Animal Legal & Historical Center: Fur Production and Fur Laws

Chicagoist: Minnesota Trophy Hunter Accused of Killing Beloved Lion

Discover News: Trophy Hunting Is There Any Benefit to Conservation?

USA Today: Fury Over Cecil the Lion also Sparks Race Controversy

PETA: Inside the Exotic Animal Trade

The Center for Consumer Freedom: FBI Anti-terror Unit Investigated PETA

USA Today: Years later Effects of Exotic-Animal Tragedy Still Felt

Dr. Steve Best: Top Five Animals that Face Extinction Satisfying Human greed

CBS News: Can Hunting Endangered Animals Save the Species?

National Wildlife Federation: Overexploitation

List Verse: 8 Endangered Species Still Hunted

Priceonomics: The Exotic Animal Trade

UC Small Farm Program: Exotic Livestock

Humane Society: Dangerous Exotic Pets

Michael Sliwinski

Michael Sliwinski (@MoneyMike4289) is a 2011 graduate of Ohio University in Athens with a Bachelor’s in History, as well as a 2014 graduate of the University of Georgia with a Master’s in International Policy. In his free time he enjoys writing, reading, and outdoor activites, particularly basketball. Contact Michael at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Lions and Tigers and Bears: Inside the Exotic Animal Trade appeared first on Law Street.

While climate change, habitat loss, and strains on food resources are all putting pressure on many forms of wildlife to survive, another human induced threat is direct action by way of poachers. Especially in parts of Africa and Southeast Asia, poaching is pushing already endangered animals such as the black rhino, elephant, and some big cats to the brink. Turbulent political situations and market demands further escalate the determination of those involved and the degree of their activity. Attempting to protect said animals will require more than raising awareness and implementing additional rules, rather, we need widespread alterations to value systems. However since there are so many factors involved that need to be addressed, any progress is desirable–during his notable recent visit to the United States, Prince William spent time advocating for wildlife conservation.

A city in Myanmar named Mong La, called by some a mini Las Vegas, is a haven for black market outlets and red light activities. In addition to gambling and prostitution, many endangered animals are desired in one form or another. Rhino horns are thought to have healing qualities, tiger parts are thought to be aphrodisiacs and increase virility, and bear claws, leopard pelts, and live monkeys are also common sights. These things have been the practice in the region for a long time, but recently it has worsened due to China’s economic expansion. A vast increase in members of China’s middle and upper middle classes has provided an enormous demand for these already extremely rare animals. Such people have cash to burn, and desire to spend it conspicuously on trophies, prestige, and lavish leisure.

Poachers cut up a kill. Courtesy of Rod Waddington via Flickr.

One does not need to be ethnocentric, insofar as declaring one’s own culture, values, and belief systems to be correct or superior to those of another. However there is no scientific evidence to support the theories that these animals provide the medicinal benefits that are claimed.

Yet this should not be the only factor in the issue. Individuals and societies should be allowed to exercise their cultures regardless of scientific validity. The Faroe Islanders, located between Scandinavia and Iceland, got into a scrape with Greenpeace over their Grindadrap, or Pilot Whale Hunt. Greenpeace made assumptions about the Islanders–that they were killing simply for the sake of it and in attempts to assert masculinity. This seemed pointless to them and Greenpeace advocated for an end to the hunting practices. However upon further investigation, many minute details regarding the Faroe culture and its relationship to the hunt were discovered. An aesthetic interest in whales was not sufficient to deny the Faroes the right to pursue these values. This conclusion became all the more prevalent when it was discerned that the Islanders were in fact going about the hunt in a sustainable fashion, and the pilot whale itself is not an endangered species. However neither of these two details are the case with regard to the poaching discussion at hand.

Ivory jewelry. Courtesy of USFWS Mountain-Prairie via Flickr.

Currently the primary solution to the poaching problem is armed defense. Many African national parks employ heavily weaponized rangers to patrol and defend the borders. Often times firefights break out; there are often reports of poachers, and occasionally rangers too, getting killed in these conflicts. While this might help on a case by case basis, it does not stop poaching at the source. That is, it does not address the root motivations for poaching in the first place.

Rangers confiscate ivory. Courtesy of Enough Project via Flickr.

Poachers and Rangers are not the only ones engaging in armed conflict in the African national parks. In 2013, the two-year-old country of South Sudan erupted in civil war. Sudan is already known for hosting Africa’s longest civil war, lasting from 1983-2005. During that time, it is estimated that all but 5,000 of the country’s 80,000 elephants died. After the first war, elephants, giraffes, antelope, buffalo, and others were in a position to begin a recovery. Paul Elkan of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s South Sudan program explains that formal protection, ecotourism, and other programs were being established which could have aided these animals in returning to a healthy population. However with the onset of another war these systems collapsed. As a power vacuum has opened up in much of the region, there is little to stop poachers from running rampant. Furthermore, as combat spreads into the parks themselves, poachers are not the only threat to the animals. Commercial bush meat hunting to feed soldiers is a common occurrence during hostility.

The Duke of Cambridge is a longstanding advocate for wildlife conservation. While in Washington D.C. at the beginning of December, Prince William vocalized his intention to address the trafficking aspect of poaching, in an effort to work with transportation companies and international regulations on trade. Trying to cut the actual trade of the animals could reduce the level of poaching on site. This is just one of the many means by which Prince William hopes to improve the situation and spread more environmentally conscious sentiment across the globe. Being in an authoritative and high profile position, he continues to put his influence and altruistic intentions to productive use.

Prince William speaks about wildlife conservation. Courtesy of World Bank Photo Collection via Flickr

If the increased demand for these animals is in part a consequence of modernization, interconnected markets, higher income, and more leisure time for the societies in question, the interest in sustainability and environmental conservation should not be long to follow. If they could heed the Prince’s warnings and follow his example, we may be able to find effective and long lasting solutions to these problems.

Franklin R. Halprin

Franklin R. Halprin holds an MA in History & Environmental Politics from Rutgers University where he studied human-environmental relationships and settlement patterns in the nineteenth century Southwest. His research focuses on the influences of social and cultural factors on the development of environmental policy. Contact Frank at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

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