Our zero-tolerance policy towards illegal trade in wildlife
Our commitment:
Southern African Herpetologists is committed to wildlife protection by:
- not engaging in, supporting or condoning the illegal trade or the collection of any wildlife species (endangered or not) from its natural habitat.
- adopting a zero-tolerance policy towards the illegal trade and anyone found to be buying, collecting, selling or participating in illegal wildlife.
We encourage all Members and Partners to share in our commitment.
Our policy towards Photographing Wildlife
Our commitment:
Southern African Herpetologists is committed to wildlife protection by:
- not removing animals to photograph them later.
- not disturbing animals or causing them stress or discomfort.
- not disclosing the exact location of any rare species photographed, unless to scientific institutions or registered conservation groups.
- being aware of all living things, even plants as you enter any natural habitat.
- not intentionally disturbing or spooking an animal to provoke a reaction.
- only using a flash that's fitted with a diffuser.
We encourage all Members and Partners to share in our commitment.
Our policy towards Releasing Rescued Wildlife
Our commitment:
Southern African Herpetologists is committed to wildlife protection by:
- only releasing a rescued specimen in a habitat known to sustain that species and is deemed to be its natural habitat.
- only releasing a rescued specimen in an area that is away from human habitation, thus avoiding further conflict.
- only release a single specimen in an area. Releasing multiple specimens in the same area can put an added pressure on those specimens to find food and may even lead to them failing to survive.
We encourage all Members and Partners to share in our commitment.
Fighting the illegal wildlife trade
According to the Zoological Society of London:
"The illegal wildlife trade is the fourth biggest illegal activity worldwide, behind only arms, drugs and human trafficking, and is often run by the same criminal syndicates. It's worth around $23 billion a year and leaves a trail of destruction which is wiping out species and destroying people's lives. "
According to INTERPOL:
"Illegal wildlife products are now worth up to $20 billion a year on the black market – where goods are exchanged illegally.
Armed violence, corruption, money laundering and other forms of organised crime are increasingly a feature of the illegal wildlife trade and up to 100 rangers a year are killed while trying to protect wildlife from poachers."
According to University of Oxford:
According to the IUCN:
"Conservation efforts are improving prospects for some of the species on its Red List of Threatened Species. But biodiversity is still declining, with more than 150,300 species threatened. Of these, more than 42,100 species are threatened with extinction, including 27% of mammals and 13% of birds."
Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade
The illegal trade in wild animals is bringing many species to the brink of extinction in the wild.
Many traders will openly state that they are 'saving the species' by supplying animals to the pet trade.
We all have a moral obligation to protect the planet's wildlife.
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