End Illegal Wildlife Trade

The War on Wildlife

Poachers are waging a war against wildlife. Picking up automatic weapons and chainsaws and laying down snares and poison, nefarious gangs of poachers are targeting big cats for their skins, claws, teeth and other body parts that are sold through the illegal wildlife market. Wildlife trafficking rings often link back to organized crime syndicates, and there are suspected links with terrorism and human trafficking.

Poaching and wildlife trade has recently been the number one threat to tigers and we’re now seeing evidence that the threat is affecting species like lions. In the last 100 years, lion populations have declined by 90% and tiger populations have decreased by 96%. If we don’t act, these majestic animals may be gone for good.

How Panthera is Helping

In partnership with global government wildlife departments, local organizations and law enforcement agencies, we are building a big cat information network to coordinate monitoring of illegal wildlife trade and enforcement efforts across the globe. Specifically, we seek to understand the depth and breadth of the illegal wildlife trade and propose effective, collaborative solutions in the Andes of South America, southern Africa, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.

In these areas, our law enforcement specialists are:

• Tracking trafficking patterns and trends and sharing data with local, regional, national and international partners;
• Training partners on the frontline of countering poaching and trafficking like patrol rangers, staff at check posts surrounding national parks, airport security and other law enforcement agency staff;
• Promoting stronger judicial actions to effectively prosecute and sentence poachers and traffickers; and
• Producing communication materials in multiple languages about the illegality of hunting big cats and buying or selling their parts.