Ending Wildlife Trade will Protect the Environment; Reduce Risk of Future Pandemics like COVID-19

The death of a pregnant elephant in Kerala has sent a wave of shock and grief across the country. It is a sombre reminder that humans are capable of horrific acts of cruelty and violence towards animals.

Wild animals belong in the wild. It is time to end the needless practice of wildlife trade and no more pandemics like COVID-19

This World Environment Day, the time has come for all of us to join hands and ensure that wild animals do not suffer such acts of barbarism again.

Wild animals are traded for the purpose of our entertainment, for medicine and are treated as products. This cruel trade causes the suffering of millions of animals and endangers the health of people with pandemics like COVID-19. It also has a terrible impact on our environment.

With this in mind, World Animal Protection has launched a global appeal to ban the trade of wild animals forever. The organisation is appealing to the leader of G20 nation to agree for this global ban when they meet for the G20 nations summit in November.

In India, World Animal Protection is urging Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to support the global call for wildlife trade ban when he represents the country at the G20 summit.

Gajender K Sharma, Country Director, World Animal Protection India said, "We can no longer ignore the fact that rampant trade of wild animals for the benefit of humans resulted in outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. And if we don't act now, this won't be the last pandemic. Wild animals belong in the wild. That is their natural habitat. We appeal to Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, who has been an advocate of animal welfare and wildlife preservation in the past, to support the global ban of wildlife trade at the G20 summit."

"It is time to bring back balance to the natural order. We must all take this pledge today on World Environment Day, that we will not participate in any activity that uses wild animals as products. Wildlife is an integral part of the natural environment and should be cherished there, not put in cages. With that in mind, I urge the Indian government to effectively enforce existing wildlife protection laws to stop trade of wild animals and wild animal products."

World Animal Protection has also requested World Health Organisation to permanently ban all wildlife markets around the globe in the wake of coronavirus pandemic and to take a highly precautionary approach to the wildlife trade.

The aggravated risk to human health caused from close contact to wild animals in the wildlife trade and in entertainment can no longer be ignored.

By ending wildlife trade, we can:

1. Protect thousands of species at risk of extinction due to human exploitation and help maintain biodiversity

2. Help ensure wild animals have a home and continue to play their vital role in maintaining functioning ecosystems

3. Prevent invasive species being introduced to new habitats, which can cause resource competition, bring a risk of disease, and native species declines

4. Stop extensive environmental pollution associated with the industrial farming of wildlife for commercial purposes, like fur farms

World Animal Protection has a strong track record of supporting local communities to transition away from incomes based on wildlife cruelty.

It's urgent that we come together now to implement to a comprehensive wildlife trade ban to eliminate the threats of future pandemics to our health and economies. #EndWildlifeTrade.

Join us and ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi to support the call for an end to global trade of wild animals. Sign this petition here - www.worldanimalprotection.org.in/end-global-wildlife-trade-forever