Last summer, an investigator learned that an individual in San Jose, California was using eBay to purchase an endangered—and taxidermied—species of owl from France. The individual has since admitted to her crime and pleaded no contest. Wildlife trafficking is one of the biggest illegal trades in the world, with some estimating the amount of transactions at nearly $20 billion. Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA and Born Free Foundation, says animal trafficking is “up there with drug trafficking and human trafficking in terms of illegal activity and profitability.”
Link: San Jose Inside