If you’re not familiar with the pet trade, then you’re reading the right article. We will be covering a couple of little known facts that will certainly surprise you.

1. The Pangolin is the most illegally traded animal in the world. The Pangolin is basically a scaly ant eater and it is traded for its unique scales, meat and various other body parts. This particular animal is more at risk than rhinos and tigers. Over 100,000 Pangolins are poached every year.
2. The illegal pet trade is extremely lucrative and the only other trade that is more lucrative than it is the drug trade. This particular trade is the most popular in China but the United States is a close second. In the U.S, San Francisco is where the majority of illegal animals enter the country.
3. Currently, there are more tigers on private property in the US than there are in the wild. According to estimations, there are only 3,000 tigers in the wild whereas there are about 5,000 pet tigers in the United States. Sadly, you can illegally purchase a tiger for as little as $300 which is much cheaper than many dogs and other domestic pets.
4. Some of the most popular animals that are poached and traded every day include fresh water turtles, African elephants, rhinos, tigers, bears, leopards, parrots etc.
5. The biggest reason for the extinction of many animals is the illegal wildlife trade. If this trade is not stopped, animals such as rhinos and elephants will become extinct within the next few years.

Sadly, there is a huge demand for exotic pets and this demand is what fuels the pet trade. The demand and availability of these animals has increased due to social media and the internet. Due to these technologies, people can easily advertise illegal animals for sale. Also, there are many viral YouTube videos showing exotic animals such as slow lorises consuming rice balls in a person’s home. As a result of this viral video, this animal became highly sought after and traded illegally.

The effects of illegal pet trading not only includes the eventual extinction of exotic animals but also causes great suffering for these animals. Many of them become badly injured while being caught and have to undergo horrendous conditions while being transported. In the end, when they are delivered to the buyer, they are often deeply traumatised, injured and extremely distressed.

There are, however, some good points and we know just how important it is to highlight positive news in this sector. for example, there is a lot more in terms of an overall pet trade show. Wherever you’re based in the world, there will be plenty of pet trade shows highlighting top products in the industry and the improvement being made in terms of manufacturing techniques.

To wrap things up, these are just few facts about the pet trade that you should know. So, before you try to purchase an exotic animal, take the time to become more informed about this trade and reconsider your actions.