Rising exotic pet trade spurs calls for tighter international rules

The booming exotic pet trade is prompting conservationists to push for stronger regulations to protect reptiles, birds, and other wildlife increasingly sold online and showcased on social media. The concern is rising as live animals become more accessible to buyers without visiting pet stores.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), meeting this week in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, is considering proposals to restrict or ban the trade of species including Galápagos iguanas, multiple Latin American tarantulas, and Africa's Home's Hinged-back Tortoise.

Susan Lieberman of the Wildlife Conservation Society highlighted the shift from traditional wildlife trade, such as ivory and tiger parts, to live animals purchased online. "They don't have to go into a pet shop," she said. "Endangered and illegally obtained species are just a click away."

Matt Collis of the International Fund for Animal Welfare warned that social media influencers and online marketplaces have fuelled demand. Animals from Latin America are increasingly trafficked regionally and internationally, with reptiles making up 60% of seizures, birds nearly 30%, and amphibians over 10%. Many illegally captured animals are shipped to Europe, Asia, and the United States.

Some species have already seen protections approved. The critically endangered Home's Hinged-back Tortoise now faces a commercial trade ban. Two Ethiopian vipers were also granted stricter trade rules, while proposals for rattlesnakes, geckos, sloths, and Galápagos iguanas are still under discussion.

Ecuador highlighted that iguanas are often illegally collected and smuggled to Asian markets, fetching up to $25,000 on the black market. The US supports most of these proposals, though it opposes the rattlesnake listing.

Experts say loopholes in the CITES permitting system allow traders to launder wild-caught animals as captive-bred, undermining the rules meant to protect species. "Captive breeding was meant to reduce pressure on wild populations, but it often creates a market for cheaper wild-caught animals," Lieberman explained.

Pet trade groups, including the US Association of Reptile Keepers, argue that some proposals are excessive, noting that captive-bred specimens pose little threat to wild populations.

Meanwhile, a report from the Center for Biological Diversity notes that the US imports around 90 million live exotic animals annually, fuelling biodiversity loss. "Wildlife exploitation, including for the pet trade, is a major driver of the global extinction crisis," the report states, warning that urgent action is needed to protect species for future generations.