Several days ago, I read a story about how Peru’s butterfly exports had increased 43% from January-April of this year. These are the butterflies that are pinned into glass frames for sale as gifts and souvenirs. I wondered if all of these butterflies included those that are exported illegally and those that are endangered. Questions of this kind were on my mind as just several days earlier my family had passed by a street vendor who sold animals illegally.
One of the animals was a baby monkey, caged and frightened. We live in the highlands region of Peru, so the monkey was far from its former home in the rainforest. My wife, who in the past worked as a biologist throughout Peru, told me that she thought this was an endangered monkey. As we walked home, I wished I had brought my camera. This I thought, is a story that needs to be pursued.
Yesterday, I went with my family once again to see the animals sold by the street vendor. This time I took my camera, hoping to take a photo of the monkey. Unfortunately, the monkey had been sold. My wife had told me that it was probably a Brown capuchin monkey (Cebus apella). Despite not finding the monkey, the photos I did get were probably even better.
Just as we arrived, a man in a car pulled up and inquired about one of the larger birds that was being sold. He ended up buying the bird, probably a Scarlet-fronted parakeet (Aratinga wagleri), for 33 nuevo soles (approximately $11 American). Watching the vendor get the bird out of the cage was painful. The stressed bird pecked at the man’s hand as much as he could. Once the vendor succeeded in grabbing the bird, he put it in a brown paper bag with a piece of corn. I told my wife, “At least he gave it something to eat.” She then told me, “Those type of birds don’t eat corn though, they eat fruit.”
What I Discovered in My Research about Peru’s Illegal Wildlife Trade
After spending several hours searching on the internet for information about Peru and South America’s illegal wildlife trade, my wife and I were surprised that so little information was easily available in english or spanish. For this reason, I hope to write a follow-up article in the future with more information about this important subject. Here are the more interesting tidbits of information we found.
Did you know that the United States is second only to China as the biggest market in the illegal wildlife trade? The European Union has also significantly increased its role in the black market for wildlife, buying animals from Peru like the vicuña, a relative of the llama, that produces high-quality wool and is subsequently threatened by illegal trade.
Traffic, an international organization that monitors the illegal wildlife trade, estimates that in the 1990s the trade resulted in approximately 160 billion dollars of profit. That number has undoubtedly increased. Komodo Dragons, like the one featured in the Matthew Broderick movie The Freshman, according to one source fetch around $50,000. A toucan from Bolivia that might be bought for $10 there, can be worth $1500 in the United States. Once again, estimates vary, but the general consensus is that the illegal wildlife trade ranks at least second or third in its volume and profitability only to the international drug and gun trades. It’s possible that these trades are even interlinked, being facilitated by the same groups of people.
Why Illegal Wildlife Trading in Peru and Elsewhere Might Be Unstoppable
Several articles about Miami Airport’s wildlife inspectors are quite revealing as to why law enforcement can only go so far as to stopping the illegal animal trade. The constantly changing tactics of wildlife smugglers and the sheer volume of animals coming through places like Miami make it challenging to stop the industry. As of 1995, there were only five inspectors working full-time at the Miami Airport– and this is where the greatest amount of animal trafficking (legal and illegal) occurs worldwide. One of these inspectors estimates that only 10-20% of the illegal animals are found. Some smugglers, for instance, sew birds into their clothing or use other items to hide the animals. Last year, a man from Peru was able to hide his pet monkey in his ponytail for some time while on a plane. It was eventually discovered.
One recent scientific article claims that it is partly because of the lack of desire on the part of local Bolivian law enforcement officials that so many parrots from Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil are being smuggled. This negligence and desire to be uninvolved clearly shows that there are limitations as to stopping the illegal wildlife trade via law enforcement. What perhaps would be a more effective means to stop the trade would be to stop the demand for animals. Ceasing to make people uninterested in animals though, might be an even more impossible task. What is possible though, is greater awareness and education.
Why Education about Animals and Their Needs is So Important
Much of the illegal wildlife trade in South America and elsewhere occurs for the same reason that it does in the United States. People like animals, and want pets.
One paper about the illegal trading of sloths in Colombia helps to explain how locals are often also part of the trade. According to the source, children will often take sloths from deforested areas in Colombia and sell them to traffickers. People also hunt and kill mother sloths, taking the young to sell them (this is how many different species of animals are captured and sold throughout the world). The sloths can be seriously mistreated, and are often sold to Colombian national tourists traveling between the coast and the country’s inland areas, who are on vacation. These people don’t know what the needs of sloths are, even though they are willing to love the animals. Subsequently, the sloths often die.
This example, of course, depicts what commonly happens to many animals that become part of the illegal wildlife trade. It’s also hard to know which animals are endangered and which are not. I eventually discovered that my wife was not entirely correct about the parakeet and the monkey we saw being sold: they are not endangered. But while it turns out that these particular animals are more common than others, it is not an excuse for what is still an illegal activity. It underscores just how important education is about the illegal wildlife trade and the needs of pet animals. If you are confused by what I mean and are American, think about capturing a wild deer and then selling it. Can you imagine how hard it might be for you or someone with little education about deer to take care of one?
One last thing to ponder is that according to a segment in the book Fast Food Nation, “studies suggest that until the age of six, roughly eighty percent of children’s dreams are about animals.” This comment was made in the context of explaining how fast food chains use animals in their marketing to appeal to children’s innate interests.
Whether or not it’s comes from our experiences with stuffed animals or real animals, most of us grow a fondness for animals since the time that we are children. Pets are therefore most likely to always be part of human cultures. Without some means for us to determine how we can boycott businesses that sell animals and pets that are part of the illegal wildlife trade, we are probably at a loss to stop it. But perhaps, if we promote more awareness, we can help stop the demand for animals that are taken illegally from their natural habitats.
I hope to learn more about Peru’s illegal wildlife trade in the upcoming months, and I will report back with new information once it is available. Hopefully I will find something to be more optimistic about.
Photo Credits: © Levi T. Novey
Excellent work. The wildlife trade causes irreparable harm to too many species, and we must educate Americans to stop buying exotic animals.
Thank you for raising awareness of this critical issue and your efforts to end the illegal wildlife trade by researching and documenting instances of its occurrence. Best wishes!
Did the guy notice you taking photos? If so, how did he react?
Poor parrot, the guy put it into a paper bag!! The feathers of the parrot indicate that it has been in a lot of stress. Where are the police there? Is there any animal rights organization that could help those poor animals?
John and Marianne, thanks for your support. It’s good to know that there are other people out there who care.
Daniel, you ask a very good question. I’m not sure if the man selling the animals noticed me taking photos in the most important moments. I started by pretending that I was taking photos of my wife and daughter in front of the animals, and then once the car arrived, the vendor seemed distracted enough by making a sale that I just started taking photos. I was quite surprised that I was not told to stop, or given a bad look.
It is possible that foreigners tend to take photos often because of the novelty of animals being sold on the street… and maybe the vendor didn’t think I had any greater purpose.
My wife has informed me that there is a large market in Lima for buying animals illegally. She has heard that you can ask for almost any Peruvian animal and the traffickers can have it for you in about a week. I hope to go to this market sometime soon and see it for myself, although my wife cautions it will be much more challenging and potentially dangerous to try to take photographs. She says that occasionally Peruvian law enforcement agencies raid the premises– nonetheless, the damage to some extent is already done.
Alicia, thanks for your comment as well. As I mentioned in the article, on the local level, Peruvian and South American law enforcement officials generally don’t seem too interested in taking down the wildlife trade. Perhaps they don’t view it as a bad thing, or they figure that it will be a big hassle to figure out what to do with the animals after the bust (maybe donate them to zoos? Although there are not many in Peru)
I’m not sure if there are any animal rights organizations active in Peru. I hope to find out the answer in addition to uncovering more information about the illegal wildlife trade in Peru for a future article. Stay tuned…
Thanks for bringing much-needed attention to this, Levi. I am a biologist who has always wanted to put all of my efforts in the wildlife trade, but who was limited due to a physical disability I have. So it’s always good to find out about people out there bringing attention to the matter. And I think that education for the buyers as well as alternative economic means for the vendors can help deter these illegal and inhumane activities. I’m looking forward to your report of what I’m sure will be a devastating and heart-wrenching trip to the illegal market. Thanks for all your work!
Oh relax.
I lived in the jungle for 10 years, and trust me, neither the birds or the monkeys are endangered. There are millions of them out there. They are pretty, but hardly in need of protection. Most of them are pests that get into everything. We used to shoot the capuchins with sling shots. They are the worst.
Very sad but it does happen in many countries in South and Central America. I am from Brasil and cases like that are extremelly common. I believe the biggest challenge is to change society’s mentality towards nature. Animals belong to the wild not in a cage!!!!
Interesting article… I actually spent a couple months in Peru and was very surprised in the market one day when someone tried to sell me an obviously wild monkey for 20$US.
Levi,
I spent two years living in La Paz, Bolivia and the surrounding areas. Many, many people there own and keep exotic pets that are easily brought up from the jungle. Macaws, various parrots, chained up monkeys, and turtles were common to see in peoples houses or outside. I saw many out of control monkeys chained to peoples patios. There were many markets in La Paz, El Alto, and Oruro where you could freely buy and type of animal. It was also easily possible to buy ocelot, vicuna, anaconda, and monkey furs, blankets, or cases for things such as books, purses, briefcases. Thinking back it seemed to be a large problem with little or no oversight. I know on at least 4 occasions i was offered vicuna skins to purchase. Thanks for the article.
Who the f**k is Jorge? THis guy needs some animal education badly. It is considered very cruel to keep wild animals as “pets” but then again the guy says he use to shoot capuchins. What a dick!!!! I’d like to see monkeys shooting at him with the same pellet gun!
jorge your stupid
Wow, I think I need to go to Peru to get my Parrot!
why do they do that if they know that they will most likely to cought in the midle of the crime
Great work!! How many walk by and do nothing. The world needs more people like you
It is another horrifying story. Here in the Asian country it is the same with slow loris and all kinds of endangered species being smuggled out from Asian countries such as Indonesia to China for the exotic wildlife meats. Panggolins, snakes and others are in huge demand by China. Malaysia is a transit point for most of the wildlife exported.
I just wanted to add that the illegal trafficking isn’t the only problem.
I have also been to markets where the vendors market dried-up bats, frogs and other exotic animals (like monkeys) to sell them to those who practice witchcraft and shamanism.
I personally feel bad for those animals but I think that might be a harder battle to fight since it intersects with cultural customs….
To start, we need to teach young children in school about animals. We can teach what type of pets to have and what type of pets not to have. We need to teach young children TO SAY NO, when it comes to endangered wildlife. The United States needs to have a Federal tax on every item sold of two cents. The money can be divided into two amounts. One cent will be used as a green tax. The money can be used for green energy, cleaning up the US and conservation. The second one cent will be used to stop the illegal wildlife trade in the United States and the world. This would be proactive and would change the United States and the world for the better!