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World wildlife trade affects one in five species, says report

A smuggler displays a bag of scales from endangered pangolins during a press conference in Banda Aceh on August 21, 2019. [AFP]

More than 5,500 species of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles are bought and sold on the worldwide animal market, a volume that is around 50 per cent higher than earlier estimates, a study published in Science said Thursday.

The legal and illegal trade of wildlife as pets or for animal products is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and recognized as one of the most severe threats to biodiversity.

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