Dener Jose GIOVANINI

Issue / The Trafficking of Wild Animals

Brazil is one of the most richly biodiverse countries in the world. Alone, it provides habitat for 10% of the Earth's wildlife. However, the precarious situation of Brazilian wildlife has recently come to the forefront with the release of the Red Book of Brazilian Fauna Threatened with Extinction, published in 2008 by the Minister of the Environment. In it, he denounced the fact that the number of threatened species in the country had tripled in 15 years.

Among the threats to Brazilian biodiversity is the trafficking of wild animals, an activity that generates billions of dollars annually for smugglers. The targeted animals are generally sold to rich collectors or to research laboratories. Among the largest illegal trade operations in the world, it is estimated that approximately 40 million animals are captured annually.