Monitoring illegal wildlife trade online: Brazil and South Africa

Illegal wildlife trafficking is increasingly taking place online, with social media and e-commerce platforms being used to facilitate the sale of endangered species. Data collected between May and July 2024 shows that 477 online advertisements for 18 protected species were detected in Brazil and South Africa. Shockingly, 78% of these ads were placed on platforms like Facebook, making social media a major player in the online wildlife trade.

The African gray parrot and the Pirarucu fish are among the most trafficked species, whose populations are already critically endangered due to illegal exploitation. This report also highlights a disturbing link between Brazil’s Pirarucu illicit trade and the cocaine trade, illustrating the complex intersection of environmental crime with broader transnational organized crime networks.

In South Africa, demand for animal parts used in traditional African medicine plays a major role in fueling the illegal wildlife trade. From bones to live animals, these products are openly advertised online, raising serious concerns about the sustainability of wildlife populations and the need for more robust regulatory oversight.

Our latest Global Trend Report report calls for better law enforcement efforts, international cooperation and stricter regulations for online platforms to effectively combat IWT. It provides important insights into the dynamics of the illegal wildlife trade and offers solutions to protect vulnerable species and ecosystems from further decline.

ECO-SOLVE leads the fight against environmental crime with its global, collaborative, data-driven approach. Our mission: transform data insights into impactful action; support law enforcement to disrupt illegal flows; empowering communities; to shape effective global policies. ECO-SOLVE is an EU-funded project within the Global program on illicit flows.

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