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One in four animal sale ads in Iran features endangered fauna, sparking biodiversity crisis
In a recent news published by IRNA, Ansari wrote, “25 percent of the species advertised for sale are listed as prohibited in international trade under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).”
Ansari highlighted that “advertising in cyberspace” has contributed to the promotion of animal trafficking, noting that “the smuggling of wildlife has become one of the greatest threats to the country’s biodiversity.”
The environment chief further emphasized that the sale of “all animal species in Iran is illegal,” revealing that a range of animals, from lion cubs to pythons, Iranian squirrels, and various reptiles and birds, are being traded illegally in the country.
She added that keeping Iranian squirrels as pets not only decreases the population of this species but also leads to the destruction of the Zagros forests, as some individuals burn or cut down trees to capture these squirrels.
According to Ansari, research from the Parliament Research Center indicates that factors such as “financial needs,” “entertainment,” “superstitious beliefs,” and “ignorance” are the primary reasons behind wildlife trafficking in the country.
Last June, coinciding with “International Day for Biological Diversity,” an environmental official announced that the “rate of biodiversity extinction” in the country has increased “hundreds of times” compared to the last two centuries, with some plant and animal species experiencing an extinction rate “thousands of times higher.”