First record of international trafficking of Critically Endangered long-beaked echidnas (Zaglossus sp.)

Abstract

The illegal wildlife trade is a major threat to an increasingly long list of species, and nowhere is this threat greater than in Southeast Asia. The demand for live animals from Southeast Asian countries for the exotic pet trade threatens a wide variety of species, including some already on the brink of extinction. Here we report on seizures made of the Critically Endangered western long-beaked echidna Zaglossus bruijnii, which took place in the Philippines in 2014. The animals originated from Indonesia where they are totally protected by law. Indonesia, however, remains a major source of illegally acquired wildlife for the international trade and it is imperative that actions is taken, nationally and internationally, to reduce current levels of illegal trade and ultimately to ensure species like the western long-beaked echidna are no longer threatened.