38 million animals out of Brazil each year

Animal traffickers! In Brazil trap and smuggle as much as 38 million endangered wild animals every year. According to the annual report published by the National Network Against the Trafficking of Wild Animals (RENCTAS) the business accounts for as much as $1 billion a year.

A rare Lear's Macaw parrot can be sold for as much as $60,000/- while a poisonous Jararaca snake may fetch as much as $20,000 /-. According to the environment Minister Jose Sarney Filho, the government has been taking measures to tackle this very serious environmental crime. The report further cites an alarming rise in the number of animals up to 61,182 in 2000, up from 23,100 in 1998. There appears to be a strong nexus between drug traffickers and animal smugglers. Often, narcotic traffickers use rare and endangered species of animals to traffic out narcotics too! It is believed that as much as 40% of 400 criminal rings in Brazil are also involved in smuggling animals.