Wildlife Trafficking : The Elephant Essay

Wildlife Trafficking: the Elephant in the Room, But Without the Elephants Many people think it is cool and unique to have an exotic pet and stand out among their peers. But for every animal that is transported from its native country for sale, 90% will not survive the journey (“Inside”). That means that only 10% of animals are likely to last just the trip, which does not include the dozens of animals that are canceled orders, abandoned, or starving because of inadequate care and lack of a healthy environment (“Inside”). Wildlife trafficking is the transportation of animals and/or their body parts. It is an issue that has been kept in the dark for the last decade. Companies have buried just how exactly they get their animals and with little to no one asking, most people go unaware of the illegal trafficking taking place. Wildlife trafficking needs to be criminalized in all countries, not merely regulated, so that smugglers understand that the risks out way the benefits and so that everyone knows about it and is less willing to allow it to happen. Wildlife trafficking has serious effects on the environment, our economy, and safety. Despite regulators good intentions of coming to a compromise, no compromise can be made when it comes to the neglect of both animals and the environment and the resulting fact that regulation only delays the problem, instead of solving it. Having criminalization of wildlife trafficking and poaching in every country would be ideal. However, this…