BUSINESS

Tech companies launched a coalition aiming to reduce the illegal online trade in ivory and other wildlife products by 80% by 2020. (National Geographic)

What else will it take to stop wildlife trafficking? Find out from Nat Geo Explorer Juliana Machado Ferreira.

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit.

Rare orchids like this one can be sold for thousands of dollars on the black market. Photograph by Luis Marden, National Geographic

The legality of trade in coral products, like this beautiful 19th century necklace, is dependent on the species. Photograph courtesy Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Public domain

The scales and meat of pangolins (like this carcass seized in Houston) are valued throughout Southeast Asia. Photograph courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Control. Public domain

The exotic pet trade is a lucrative part of wildlife trafficking, although the trade is often perfectly legal. This animal trainer bought a chimpanzee from pet owners who could no longer keep it. Photograph by Vincent J. Musti, National Geographic

Elephant ivory like this contraband is one of the most familiar materials in wildlife trafficking. Photograph courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Public domain

In the 1970s, Japan was the top destination for rhino horn products like these (at a Kyoto medical-supply store). In 1980, the government required all manufacturers of rhino horn medicine to find alternatives, and Japan is no longer a destination for trafficked horns. Photograph by Emory Kristof, National Geographic

Exotic timber, like the ebony used to make these sculptures, is perhaps the most economically valuable part of wildlife trafficking. Photograph by Emory Kristof, National Geographic

Discussion Ideas

• A new program unites international technology companies in combatting wildlife trafficking. What is wildlife trafficking?
  • Wildlife trafficking describes the poaching or other taking of protected or managed species, and the illegal trade in wildlife and their related parts and products.
  • Some of the most familiar instances of wildlife trafficking are the trade in elephant ivory, rhino horns, pangolin scales, coral jewelry, and exotic pets.
    • Wildlife trafficking also includes the trade in threatened species of plants (such as orchids) and timber (such as ebony). By some accounts, timber is “the most valuable wildlife commodity traded.”
  • Not all trade in wildlife products constitutes illegal trafficking.
    • The sale of wildlife products is effectively managed in many regions. In the U.S., for instance, meat and commercial goods made from alligators are legally and sustainably sold. The government sets quotas for harvesting animals from the wild, and captive breeding programs and “alligator farms” are monitored for sustainability.
    • Even ivory products are sometimes legally obtained. “[S]ome countries, such as Japan and until last year, China, continue to allow registered, legally obtained ivory to be bought and sold domestically.” And in the U.S., it is legal to bring tusks and other elephant body parts back to this country as trophies.

• What companies are participating in the anti-trafficking effort? It’s mostly a consortium of Chinese and American tech giants.
  • Alibaba
  • Baidu
  • Baixing
  • eBay
  • Etsy
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Huaxia Collection
  • Instagram
  • Kuaishou
  • Mall for Africa
  • Microsoft
  • Pinterest
  • Qyer
  • Ruby Lane
  • Shengshi Collection
  • Tencent
  • Wen Wan Tian Xia
  • Zhongyikupai
  • Zhuanzhuan
  • 58 Group

• How are such diverse organizations working together?
  • The program recognizes there is no one-size-fits-all policy. Each company will take advantage of its own assets to combat wildlife trafficking. Some examples:
    • Across social media platforms (such as Facebook and Chinese giant Tencent) the starting point is “algorithms that use machine learning to detect keywords and flag posts before they even go up.”
    • Online retailer eBay “uses filters looking for keywords associated with wildlife trading, and a team actively looks for new trends to stop them. The company also allows users to flag possible violators and routinely gathers information from experts.”
    • All participants aim to raise consumer awareness so potential buyers recognize the situation before they make their purchase.
    • Perhaps most crucially, all companies will be “sharing knowledge about trends and best practices to develop priorities and to prevent loopholes from popping up on different sites.”

TEACHERS TOOLKIT

Nat Geo: Google, Facebook, and Other Tech Giants Unite to Fight Wildlife Crime Online

NPR: 21 Tech Companies Band Together Against Wildlife Trafficking

Nat Geo: Ask An Amazon Expert: What It Will Take to Stop Wildlife Trafficking