Illegal wildlife trade takes many shapes and forms – and at ZSL, we are working to combat this abhorrent practise from every possible angle.

With international pet trade now having reached industrial proportions around the globe, exotic pets such as African grey parrots have become actively targeted. And so acutely sought after that exports of these live birds was outlawed in 2016 to protect their dwindling numbers.

In Ghana, where poaching has been intense, numbers of these highly intelligent birds have dropped by over 90%. Donate now to protect the long-term existence of the African grey and other desirable pet species threatened with extinction in the wild.

For our campaign, Booker Prize winner Ben Okri was commissioned by the FT to produce this immersive children’s short story, to help young people understand the threats of illegal wildlife trade.

Starring the Bali myna (Bali starling), this species is now listed as Critically Endangered as a result of deforestation and illegal poaching.

One in four of the world’s mammals and one in eight birds are facing extinction.
We are doing wildlife a terrible wrong.
Hear the wildlife sing when it thrives in the wilderness. Let’s not let them go silent.

Donate now to help us end illegal wildlife trade.

Poaching is devastating wildlife populations at alarming rates. 30,000 elephants are killed in Africa every year. Over 100,000 seahorses are snatched from the wild every month, and every day, three rhinos are slaughtered for their horns.

We risk future generations living in a world deprived of some of its most iconic species.

In the last 50 years wildlife across the globe has declined by 60% – we are facing the first mass extinction of biodiversity since the dinosaurs.

We are dedicated to protecting wildlife from this barbaric trade. We work closely with Governments, NGOs, the private sector and local communities around the world to implement true change.

The profits from this illicit trade, fund organised crime.

Worth over $20 billion a year, the illegal wildlife trade threatens the very existence of some of our most iconic species, driving instability in vulnerable communities who live alongside them, with the poorest often most affected.

You can help us change that.