Global Wildlife Trafficking on the Rise, Aided by Drug Cartels
The Hill | 9/02/23 | Rafael BernalGlobal wildlife trafficking is on the rise, adding a dimension to transnational crime and increasing the risk that U.S. corporations could unwittingly become entangled in the illicit trade.
A new white paper by Moody’s Analytics highlights the growing risk for private enterprise, and the growing involvement of transnational crime in wildlife smuggling.
“Brands sometimes are involved in supply chains and they might not truly know who their supplier is,” said Richard Graham, Third Party Risk Management lead at Moody’s Analytics.
“If you’re doing business with someone that is a supplier that is involved in some sort of wildlife trafficking, via animals or probably more likely the wood from different endangered trees, that’s a very bad story for your brand. It impacts reputational risk, and also it’s probably illegal.”
Wait, Moody’s: You want to run that last sentence by us again, in this discussion that is all about illegal trafficking?

I’d be wearing a fur pajamas and riding a hot potato…
Speak up, I can’t hear you.
… getting Hunter Biden as my middle man…
A whole bunch of celebrity customers…
If You Were To Traffic in Wildlife, What Would It Involve?
It looks easy to some folks. But it’s hard to talk a pangolin buyer into an armadillo.
If You Were To Traffic in Wildlife, What Would It Involve?
Since the Speed Goats are devouring my horse’s grass, I’ll make you a good deal on a few. Range Delivery only.
Tigers. I could score my own set of interns if I had some tigers.
Interns dig tigers.
So does the Tiger King, just sayin’…
Catching your own tiger is easy.
https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1985/11/18
If You Were To Traffic in Wildlife, What Would It Involve?
A weekend in Vegas with the interns.
In reality, I would be the chump who gets busted for buying some kind of cool looking exotic wood for hobby work in complete ignorance that it was endangered or illegal.
Just wait until they outlaw beef..I’ll be a venison trafficker..go in the legal hunt and sell it for $50 an ounce..
Maybe a waterbuffalo for a guard pet. Nobody going to try to break into a house with a waterbuffalo in the yard.
Except another waterbuffalo.
Ocelots – they’re hot.
The Vicious Chicken of Bristol… ’cause chickens are good at crossing the road… in traffic.
Emu feathers, Yak hide, Walrus tusks.
Women are fine, sheep are divine, but iguanas are numero uno.
Elephants come to mind. People are really good at not being able to notice the elephant in the room.
Just wait until they outlaw beef..I’ll be a venison trafficker..go in the legal hunt and sell it for $50 an ounce..
I hear “traffic in wildlife” and my mind pictures a herd of wildebeest waiting for the light to turn green.