Wildlife Trade Poses Serious Threat to Binturongs as Illegal Trade in Indonesia Flourishes
Monitor study reveals rise in online wildlife trade, with Binturongs being heavily exploited for the pet trade.
A new study has revealed the significant exploitation of the Binturong Arctictis binturong, a small carnivore native to Southeast Asia, within the illegal wildlife trade in Indonesia. The species, often targeted for its meat, skin, use in civet coffee production, and as exotic pets, is facing increasing pressure as both wild-sourced and captive-bred individuals are widely available for sale online. The study highlights a major gap in conservation efforts and law enforcement, posing a serious threat to its survival.
Researchers examined online trade and wildlife seizure data, uncovering 594 advertisements for Binturongs during the study period, offering over 720 live animals. 97.6% of these listings were found on Facebook, where the trade appears to thrive with little fear of detection or legal repercussions. While both wild-caught and captive-bred Binturongs were posted for sale, the study suggests the majority were likely illegally harvested from the wild, despite local wildlife protection laws.
The online wildlife trade in Indonesia, particularly on platforms like Facebook, remains a serious issue, as evidenced by the 103 live binturongs confiscated through enforcement efforts during the study period.
“Binturongs are just one of the many lesser-known species that fall through the cracks in wildlife conservation efforts. Their unique role in forest ecosystems is largely overlooked, and the rampant demand for them as exotic pets is pushing the species towards a critical tipping point,” said study lead author and Monitor Wildlife Trade Specialist Dr. Lalita Gomez.
Infographic designed by Alisha Lin
“It is clear buyers and traders appear to act with seeming impunity, likely due to weaknesses in the current wildlife laws whereby authorities can only take enforcement action against a person in possession of a protected species or when physically involved in an illegal transaction.” A concerted effort must be made to address the demand for Binturongs as pets and the related complexities alongside other conservation efforts.
Illegal and unsustainable commercial wildlife trade is a key threat to our planet’s biodiversity, and policing this trade on online platforms is a significant challenge for enforcement especially for a vast island archipelago like Indonesia. Monitor is committed to supporting efforts to conserve lesser-known species that fall through the cracks and do not receive the conservation attention they require, such as the Binturong – and is appreciative of partners and donors who are aligned to this goal.
The illegal trade of binturongs in Indonesia (arctictis binturong) was published in Discover Animals.
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