Through out the world rare and endangered animals are captured and sold to individuals who fancy themselves exotic pet owners. Not only is this illegal in many countries it also exacerbates wild population numbers for endangered species. For example, according to a story published by Daniel Hajek for NPR, a man was arrested in California for smuggling frozen sea cucumbers over the Mexico border. The 100 pounds of sea of sea cucumbers, worth up to $10,000 were found in the spare tire compartment of his car (2014).
Image of man attempting to smuggle song birds through an airport (Credit:Associated Press)
As more species become endangered the ill effects of the illegal pet trade on wild numbers will increase.
Works Cited:
Hajek, D. (2014, April 5). Lucrative Illegal Animal Trade Thrives In Southern California. Retrieved April 20, 2015, from http://www.npr.org/2014/04/05/299385928/lucrative-illegal-animal-trade-thrives-in-southern-california
