Photo story: Combatting the illegal wildlife trade

Complex and sophisticated methods are being used by wildlife traffickers to conceal their illicit cargo. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has launched a project to cut the trade via land and sea, mapping out the key routes and transit points between Africa and Asia to intercept the merchandise.

Container ships at the Mombasa Port in Kenya, also a key exit point for the trafficking of African wildlife.

Container shipping is the most common method of transporting illicit wildlife. According to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), only two per cent of the millions of containers shipped every year are checked by authorities.

Illegal ivory and pangolian scales were concealed in candle wax in hollowed out timber logs mixed with legal timber shipment.

Some traffickers explore new ways to bypass controls, such as hiding their illegal merchandise in timber logs, and using products like candle wax to deaden sounds and smells.

Pangolin scales and ivory seized from the illegal shipment, in Kampala, Uganda.

The haul pictured, headed from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to Vietnam, contained 423 kg of pangolin scales and 762 pieces of ivory hidden in timber logs.

Elephants at Chobe National Park, Botswana.

According to the Ugandan authorities, more than 325 endangered elephants, along with hundreds of pangolins would have been killed had they not been seized en route.

On-site inspection is conducted by the customs Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) validation team.

Trainings sessions for the multi-agency Joint Port Control Units are also supported by this project at strategic transit and exit points, in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Rats are trained by the NGO APOPO to search for a variety of wildlife targets even when they have been “hidden” among other smelly substances.

Collaborating with other partners, the UNDP project has also improved detection techniques in the field. For example, rats can be trained to reliably detect the smell of commonly trafficked wildlife products, including pangolin scales.

Wildlife at the Nairobi National Park in Kenya.

Enhancing inspections, to make them more successful, is a crucial step towards protecting endangered flora and fauna and discouraging illegal trade of wildlife.