Being smart about illegal wildlife trade—why local communities matter

Illegal wildlife trade is having a devastating impact on elephants, tigers and rhinos, pushing these iconic animals – and less well-known species such as sturgeon, geckos, pangolins and hornbills – to the brink of extinction. This month, the UK government is hosting an international conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade, bringing together global leaders to help eradicate this threat. One of the London conference’s main priorities will be to strengthen ‘end-to-end enforcement’ – in other words, tackling the entire supply chain from poacher to end user.