Animal trafficking reaches record high in 2025: Interpol

Pile of tasks are placed on the ground at the immigration office during a news conference in Bangkok. A global ban on ivory in 1989 halted widespread poaching but it has steadily worsened since 2004, mostly going to Asia to be carved into chopsticks, statues and jewelry.[AFP]

Demand for exotic pets drove seizures of live animals to a record high in 2025, the Interpol police agency said Thursday as it announced a clampdown that led to the interception of nearly 30,000 animals.