CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Nearly 30,000 live animals were rescued in a monthlong global operation against wildlife trafficking that resulted in a record number of seizures, the international police body Interpol said on Thursday.Operation Thunder 2025 from Sept.15 to Oct.
15 involved law enforcement agencies and wildlife and forestry authorities from 134 countries and resulted in more than 4,600 separate seizures that included tens of thousands of protected animals and plants and tens of thousands of cubic meters of illegally logged timber.The animals rescued included 6,160 birds, 2,040 tortoises and turtles, 1,150 reptiles, 208 primates and 10 big cats, including endangered tigers, Interpol said.Wildlife trafficking for animals' body parts or for their sale as exotic pets is the most prominent danger to many endangered species and has become a major transnational organized crime.Interpol said wildlife crime was worth at least $20 billion a year, and likely more because of the difficulties in tracking it.The global operation identified more than 1,000 suspects involved in the illegal wildlife trade, Interpol said.“Operation Thunder once again exposes the sophistication and scale of the criminal networks driving the illegal wildlife and forestry trade,” Interpol Secretary-General Valdecy Urquiza said in a statement.Animal body parts were also seized, including 1,900 pieces of elephant ivory, more than 200 tons of marine species and seven tons of pangolin scales and meat.
Pangolins are small, nocturnal mammals covered in scales and sometimes called scaly anteaters.They are often ranked as the most trafficked animal in the world because of their scales, which are used in traditional medicines, and their meat, which is considered a delicacy.Popular ReadsTrump backtracks on releasing boat strike video, distances himself from controversyDec 9, 5:03 PMCharges upgraded to murder in hospital stabbing of San Francisco social workerDec 9, 9:23 PMTrump admin live update...