By Mark Kinver
Environment
reporter, BBC News
8 May 2016
Conservationists have launched a
global campaign asking the public to help tackle the illegal trade in wildlife.
They have developed a smartphone app that
allows people to submit images and data of suspicious items on sale, possibly
helping enforcement agencies.
The United Nations estimates the
illegal trade is worth billions of pounds each year.
Despite efforts to crack down on
the slaughter, it continues to grow, say campaigners.
In recent years, there has been a
resurgence in the poaching of threatened species, raising concern about the
long-term survival of iconic animals such as tigers and rhinos.
Growing demand for protected
animal body parts and products on the Chinese black market is widely viewed as
one of the main drivers for the growth in the trade.
The authors said that activity in
the illegal ivory trade had more than doubled since 2007, with ivory reaching a
price of US $2,205 (£1,526) per kg in Beijing.
Rhino horn was reaching
mind-blowing prices of US $66,000 per kg - more than the price of gold or
platinum.
Crime prevention agencies
recognise the threat posed by criminals targeting wildlife - listing the global
trade alongside drugs, arms and human trafficking.
The app - Wildlife Witness - was
developed by Taronga Conservation Society Australia in partnership with
Traffic, the wildlife trade monitoring network.
Its focus was the South East Asia
region, which has been identified has a hub in the global illegal wildlife
trade.
In this expansion of the scheme,
Chester Zoo will look to raise awareness of the project across Europe while San
Diego Zoo will do the same in the US.
"The reason why it is
important for zoos to get involved is because we have access to really large
audiences, and zoos have an important role to try and get these messages
out," said Scott Wilson, head of field programmes at Chester Zoo.
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