Overexploitation: The Culprit Homo sapiens

Exploitation, including hunting, collecting, fisheries and fisheries by-catch, and the impacts of trade in species and species' parts, constitutes a major threat for birds (30% of threatened birds), mammals (33% of threatened mammals), amphibians (6% of threatened amphibians), reptiles and marine fishes.

International Trade

Many animals and plants are increasingly threatened because of international trade in wildlife and wildlife products. In some cases (pets, rare plants) the living organism is in demand; in other cases, specific body parts like skins, furs, bones, ivory, sex organs, bile, skeletons, and claws are highly valued for ornaments, jewelry, or for putative medicinal or aphrodisiac qualities

These are mostly luxury items in demand in industrialized countries, by consumers that have very little knowledge of how endangered some of these animals are. International wildlife trade has grown and become very profitable with increased prosperity, improvements in shipping and fast air transport.

The major exporters are tropical and subtropical countries of Africa, Southeast Asia and South America (see chart) while the major importers are Europe, Japan and the U.S.

The U.S. is both an exporter and importer and is the largest market in the world for these items, importing and exporting about $1 billion worth of wildlife and wildlife products each year (out of a total world trade of $5 billion).


Three of the eight species of tiger are already extinct and all the others are threatened because of a combination of habitat loss and poaching for the Asian traditional medicine market. The total tiger population has declined by 95% in the 20th century, leaving only about 5,000. The Siberian tiger, with only 200 animals, could be extinct within a few years if China does not take effective measures immediately.