
The global wildlife trade is cruel and a hotbed for emerging infectious diseases like COVID-19. We demand an end to the global wildlife trade. Forever.
The global wildlife trade is cruel and a hotbed for emerging infectious diseases like COVID-19. We demand an end to the global wildlife trade. Forever.
Every day, thousands of animals are forced into the multi-billion pound global trade in wildlife – killed for food, harvested for traditional medicine, traded as 'exotic' pets or forced into a life of suffering in entertainment.
In 2020, following the outbreak of COVID-19, we launched a global initiative to call on world leaders to instigate a global wildlife trade ban at the G20 meeting in November. We are petitioning all the G20 governments, and to support this in the UK we also formed the Coalition to End the Wildlife Trade, bringing together organisations including Four Paws UK, Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, Compassion in World Farming, League Against Cruel Sports, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), OneKind, Animal Defenders International, Animal Aid, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, People's Trust for Endangered Species, Voice4Lions, Cruelty Free International, Catholic Concern for Animals, Action for Primates, Animal Protection Agency, World Cetacean Alliance and The Donkey Sanctuary, all calling for this global wildlife trade ban.
With the help from our supporters around the world, we are raising awareness and putting pressure on world leaders to implement and uphold a ban to end the wildlife trade and help prevent future zoonotic disease outbreaks.
Wild animals don’t belong to us, they belong in the wild
Horrific conditions cause unimaginable suffering in the global wildlife trade. This also creates a hotbed of diseases that originate from animals, leading to deadly outbreaks like SARS and now COVID-19.
With the impact and grim reality of the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping across the globe, we can no longer ignore the dangers of exploiting wild animals:
As well as needing to end the pain and suffering inflicted on animals, we must stop this trade now to help prevent future global health crises and protect our environment for generations to come.
Our petition to end the global wildlife trade has now closed. Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest news and updates on our work here.
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