Gallery: The Global Traffic in Exotic Animals

Yes, thanks for posting stories like these! I noticed on the msnbc homepage the first story was about puppy mills....and I am so happy people are finally paying attention. I am actually a wildlife major and plan on becoming an inspector for the wildlife trade...I just pray I get the job!

Thank you NEWSWEEK and Sharon Begley for reporting on this horrific trade. I am beyond saddened by the lack of compassion and regard for a living, breathing, feeling being. It embarrasses me to be a human. PLEASE keep reporting stories like this so that more people will become educated. Sharon is right that the entire onus lies in the blood-stained hands of the buyers. www.idausa.org

I COULDNT HAVE PUT IT BETTER MYSELF. HUMANS ARE THE MOST SELFISH SPECIES ON THE PLANET. WE ARE NOT ONLY DESTROYING ALL THE ANIMALS BUT EVENTUALLY WE WILL DESTROY
OURSELVES.

Face it. Cruelty, selfishness and greed are attributes of the entire human race, not just certain countries. Look at our (U.S.) attrocities against animals. More than 4 million pets are destroyed in the shelters every year, and people keep breeding their pets for a quick buck or out of ignorance. People dump their pets because they are tired of caring for them. Puppy mills give dogs lives of loneliness and pain for a profit. Farm animals and poultry are kept in tiny cages, so small that they can't turn around, in the name of profit. The human population is growing at an alarming speed and pushing out all animals that can't live within its cities or exist with its pollution. Humans are the most selfish species on the planet.

In response to MJENKI: Just because a "medication" works on a lab rat, mouse, or monkey, does not mean it will work on a human - our physiologies are not identical. Therefore, some medical research conducted on animals, with the intent of benefitting humans, may actually be useless. Also, because of differences in physiology, most animals, including humans have different tolerances for certain substances ( birds can eat poison ivy berries, people can not). Therefore, It's possible that a substance that successfully treats a
condition in a lab animal, may in fact be harmful to humans. So, in the end, we should and do use human guinea pigs - ever hear of a clinical trial?

what do you do to help these animals? i am guessing you are a vegetarian. i personally raise beef from birth to a year and a half old when they are slaughtered and i am only 16, does that make me a bad person. i dont think so. these people that kill endangered species are very stupid there are many ways to make money but the fact of the matters is that unless you kill everyone in africa there will always be poaching thats the way of the world there is no way in hell you can stop it so put your mind in something that isnt a dead end like curing aids in africa.

If you take a look at which countries have depleted populations of animals that are very close to extiction, you will find that those are the countries that dont allow out of country hunting(safaris). By countries allowing the safaris to happen then the out of country dollars start rolling in thus allowing that country to employ the law enforcement nessary to curb the poaching, also by providing food for the locals they dont have to resort to poaching to eat and provide a means for their families. Alot of animal rights activists frown upon the hunting but in fact it does provide an economy when there wouldnt be one.

This kind of thing is disgusting to me! These people need to be taught a lesson. Their taking advantage of animals for personal gain when half their reasoning for it is complete BULL, all these oriental beliefs about animals being used in soups and being killed for medicine but sold for large amounts to make that medicine is outrageous! Better yet turning endangered animals into delicacies? FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO EAT FOR GOD SAKES! I DO NOT care what their beliefs are THEY are the animals. And the idea about animal testing and it being "hard" to find out animals origins so they will be bought even though it is illegal. ANY company ANY testing facility that uses animals should be disgusted in themselves. To honestly think they are above these animals when they are killing and torturing these animals in a way that is so disgusting and unnecessary! --they are the animals. No, they do not even deserve to be called animals-- to think this is actually going on and so many people know but do not even say a thing about it is a sad reminder about the morals some people have. These are living breathing creatures, they feel pain, they have a brain and they live their lives. I???m sorry there not as advanced as humans but we should be using our technology to make their lives easier NOT kill them, take away their homes and resources, torture them and use them for testing!! If you know it can be stopped you should say something. it doesn't matter that Africa has plenty of animals to hunt (at this time) with mind frames like that the ONLY place future generations are going to be hearing about animals is in the history books.

This kind of thing is disgusting to me! These people need to be taught a lesson. Their taking advantage of animals for personal gain when half their reasoning for it is complete BULL, all these oriental beliefs about animals being used in soups and being killed for medicine but sold for large amounts to make that medicine is outrageous! Better yet turning endangered animals into delicacies? FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO EAT FOR GOD SAKES! I DO NOT care what their beliefs are THEY are the animals. And the idea about animal testing and it being "hard" to find out animals origins so they will be bought even though it is illegal. ANY company ANY testing facility that uses animals should be disgusted in themselves. To honestly think they are above these animals when they are killing and torturing these animals in a way that is so disgusting and unnecessary! --they are the animals. No, they do not even deserve to be called animals-- to think this is actually going on and so many people know but do not even say a thing about it is a sad reminder about the morals some people have. These are living breathing creatures, they feel pain, they have a brain and they live their lives. I???m sorry there not as advanced as humans but we should be using our technology to make their lives easier NOT kill them, take away their homes and resources, torture them and use them for testing!! If you know it can be stopped you should say something. it doesn't matter that Africa has plenty of animals to hunt (at this time) with mind frames like that the ONLY place future generations are going to be hearing about animals is in the history books.

AS A NURSE I SEE AMERICA WASTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON MEDICATIONS EACH YEAR. WHAT IS NOT USED IN OUR DOCTORS OFFICES, HOSPITALS, AND NURSING HOMES IS OFTEN THROWN AWAY RATHER THAN GIVEN TO THOSE LESS FORTUNATE WHO ARE UNABLE TO AFFORD HEALTHCARE. IN MOST OF THESE PICTURES IT WAS SAID THAT THESE ANIMALS WERE BEING USED FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES IN SOME FASHION OR ANOTHER. I HAVE TO SAY THAT AS AMERICANS WE HAVE BECAME THE FILTH IN THIS ASPECT. WHAT GIVES US THE RIGHT TO CHASTISE THESE PEOPLE FOR USING THE RESOURCES THEY HAVE AT HAND TO TRY AND KEEP THEMSELVES AND THEIR FELLOW MAN HEALTHY? OF COURSE THERE ARE ALWAYS THOSE WHO ARE JUST IN IT FOR THE MONEY, BUT LOOK AT OUR OWN SOCIETY. BIG DRUG COMPANIES, HMO'S, INSURANCE COMPANIES...TELL ME WHO IS NOT JUST IN IT FOR THE MONEY...WHAT IF WE TURNED THE TABLES AND THIS STORY WAS WRITTEN IN EAST ASIA, ABOUT AMERICANS..."STUPID AMERICANS HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF RESOURCES AT THEIR FINGERTIPS AND STILL THEY LET THEIR CITIZENS GO WITHOUT HEALTHCARE OR MEDICAL TREATMENTS..." I CERTAINLY DO NOT LIKE TO SEE ANY LIVING CREATURE BEING HARMED FOR THE SIMPLE PLEASURE OF HARMING IT, OR TRAFFICKING IT FOR MONEY...BUT WE DO HAVE TO COMMEND THESE PEOPLE FOR AT LEAST USING THE RESOURCES THEY HAVE TO DO WHAT THEY CAN....

Africa has had problems with poaching for as long as i can remember, and i'm 47. If you go to South Africa, there is probably more plains game there, than on the Serengeti Plain. Sport Hunting is the why this is so. When commercial hunting is allowed it brings in dollars. That money helps locals, so they don't need to poach. Also, because there is profit in it, why on earth would a concession owner want to destroy his livelihood, or over hunt the area. No he would implement wise use policies and work to improve habitat. South Africa is awesome, plenty of animals to see and hunt.

There Must be a way to combat these atrocities! These countries with these low-life, selfish, self serving pieces of filth MUST be policed by people that actually love and care about GOD'S Beautiful creatures as we do.(Us good folks posting, that care) People that can NOT be bought and/or bribed for any amount. I myself would be more than happy to catch these scumbags. These poachers and the pukes that sell parts of these beautiful animals THINK they are getting away with it. But the Good Lord knows all and they will pay big. In the mean time somebody needs to form crews upon crews to STOP before they dessimate all of God's Creatures. And I agree that these oriental scumbags are hideous and should have some "parts" chopped off to give them an idea of what it's like. They THINK they are superior to the animals and think, "they're just animals". Who are REALLY the animals?

I agree, the acts against these poor defensless animals are reprehensible.The people who commit these acts will get what they deserve in the end. People, not organizations is the answer. We see what the orgs. have done. Clearly not enough.These animals are not theirs, they are ours and until we do something this will keep happening until they are all gone, and then people will say" I wish we could have done more"

The orientals are an ugly race as whole.

YOU MUST MUST MUST create an advertising campaign to educate the Americans & such of the slaughter, & senceless killing of these animals. Show them a picture of ivory earrings, then show a picture of dead elephants lying in a pool of blood so she can have some pretty earrings, show them the gorilla lying dead with no hands, SHOW THEM ALL THE PRODUCTS they feel okay to buy because they are in a shop or online is still wrong an animal still died and terribly just so you can wear this piece of animal. . Show them how hunting is senceless even in there own country for bears etc is WRONG. If NO-ONE buys these imports & ARE EDUCATED AS TO WHY THEY SHOULDN'T then there wont be any money paid for animals parts -slaughter, therefore the black market would dry up as no-one will want to buy these animal parts. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP. If they can educate people not to drink drive, not to smoke, over eating, sun protection etc WHY CANT THIS BE A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN which you know media gets the message across. Governments would help funded a campaign like this as we know how important it is to save these beautiful creatures. I pray that these people are meet with the same fate, & slowly so their last though can be of the baby gorilla they killed or the screaming elephants that had no chance. PLEASE HELP THESE ANIMALS

as sad and heartbreaking as these atrocious acts are, I believe that it will keep happening until there are people , not organizations, who take agrresive action to these people who are committing these acts. Obviously organizations aren't doing enough.If these animals are part of our world isn't it up to us to protect them? People need to take action, put your action where your mouth is!

I can't believe more people aren't outraged by this - obviously we aren't doing enough to stop it !! People who commit such atrocities against these innocent, beautiful animals will hopefully burn in hell. They deserve nothing less!