Wildlife Conservation

The Scale of the Problem

There is illegal wildlife trade with a value of 7-26 billion dollars per year and involving more than 100 million plants and animals each year. This has caused a 60% decline in abundance of species and up to 80 percent in endangered species.

Impacts on Nature and People

1. Biodiversity loss: Species pushed to extinction
2. Health risks: Spread of diseases like COVID-19, SARS, and other zoonoses
3. Cultural loss: Disappearance of species that hold heritage value

 

The Role of Social Media

Platforms like TikTok have unintentionally normalized exotic pet ownership. Machine learning tools are now being used to detect and report illegal wildlife content online..