Environment · 2026-11-01 · Afternoon briefing

Wildlife trade involves double the species previously thought, study finds

The number of plant and animal species sold in the global wildlife trade is more than double previous estimates, according to a study in Science Advances. Researchers from the University of Melbourne conclude that global assessments have failed to keep pace with the modern trade, creating significant gaps in understanding its true scale.

A primary driver of this underestimation is the boom in the online exotic pet market. The study found that sellers operate with considerable ease, with some offering to post spider eggs internationally or smuggle reptiles onto commercial flights. Lead author Alice Hughes warns that without representative monitoring, the trade cannot be managed, posing a 'major risk to species' that current methods fail to capture.

Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.

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• Plants, animals, fungi: Global wildlife trade involves 107,000 species, double previous estimates, study finds
• Global wildlife trade is twice previous species estimates, but major data gaps suggest true scale is even larger
• Global wildlife trade involves over 107,000 species study
• Study finds global wildlife trade covers 107,356 species, double estimates
• Wildlife Trade in South-East Asia

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