UNWANTED BAGGAGE
This tiger cub was one of 16 seized in Chaiyaphum, Thailand in October.
Vets from the wildlife forensic unit are taking blood samples to trace its
DNA, which can provide important evidence in prosecutions. The tiger
cubs were being smuggled across the border from Thailand into Laos,
packed two per crate in the back of a truck. They were probably reared in
an illegal tiger farm in Thailand and destined for China. Demand for tiger
body parts in traditional medicine is the biggest threat facing the 3,200
tigers that remain in the wild.
With an estimated value of US$19 billion, the illegal wildlife trade is one
of the world’s most lucrative forms of international crime. By sharing upto-the-minute intelligence, training customs officers and even deploying
specialist sniffer dogs, WWF and our sister organization TRAFFIC have
helped catch hundreds of wildlife smugglers. But keeping pace with the
criminal networks that run the trade remains a major challenge.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Annual Review 2012