From the plains of the Serengeti where lions roam freely to the warm tropical waters that sea turtles call home, wildlife has long been a lure for travelers who hope to spot creatures in their natural habitats. But even as people specifically seek out wildlife-specific travel experiences, other people are destroying these animals for a profit — and at an unprecedented and alarming rate.
Over the last 10 years, an industrial-scale killing spree of endangered animals has become a multi-billion-dollar criminal industry, making wildlife trafficking the fourth largest transnational crime, just behind the drug and arms trade and human trafficking, according to the United States Wildlife Trafficking Alliance (USWTA).
This is an excerpt from an article first published by A.dventure Travel News. Read the original article here: USWTA continues to educate travelers, industry as “Second Wave” of wildlife poaching takes hold.
