From the great plains of Africa to the steamy jungles of Asia and south America, elephants, lions, rhinos, pangolins and other rare creatures are being trafficked to feed the insatiable appetite for endangered species.

Demand for traditional medicine, exotic pets, zoos, jewelry or status symbols is what drives the trade. And the rarer the species, the higher the price and the bigger the profits.

The impact of the trade has been devastating. In the past 50 years, wildlife populations have plunged by a staggering 70%. Currently 25% of mammals and 40% of amphibians are at risk of extinction with just 3% of the world’s primary ecosystems remaining. Yet wildlife is critical to the well-being of the planet. Hundreds of millions of years of evolution means that every species plays a vital role in the fragile balance of nature.