Animal traffickers thrive as conservation funding dwindles: Nonprofits

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00:00Endangered animals around the world face growing risks as U.S. foreign aid has been reduced.

00:08Funding from U.S. aid once used to fight wildlife trafficking and poaching has largely disappeared,

00:14something the nonprofits who use those funds say opens doors for international crime networks.

00:20In 2024, Congress approved more than $365 million for biodiversity and nearly $119 million to combat poaching

00:30funneled through nonprofits and contracts. With U.S. aid shut down, much of that taxpayer-funded

00:36support has vanished. The Wildlife Conservation Society and African Parks use funding to train

00:43rangers, protect species, and monitor ecosystems. Nearly half of their total income in fiscal year

00:492024 came from federal grants. Anti-poaching programs also support security, helping law

00:56enforcement, and deterring organized crime involved in trafficking and money laundering. High-demand

01:02animal parts like tiger teeth, pangolin scales, rhino horns fuel a global black market. Pangolins

01:08are now the world's most trafficked mammal. Environmental crime is skyrocketing, generating

01:14up to $281 billion annually, with trafficking heaviest in Southeast Asia, Africa, and South

01:21America. Products flow to China, the U.S., and Europe, exploiting remote areas and open borders.

01:28Find the full story right now on san.com or by downloading the Straight Arrow News mobile

01:32app today. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kayleigh Carey.