WWF report says online wildlife trade on rise in Myanmar

By ELAINE KURTENBACH
AP Business Writer

BANGKOK (AP) — A report by the World Wildlife Fund shows illegal trading in wildlife online is growing in Myanmar in a threat both to public health and to endangered species. The report released Friday said enforcement of bans on such transactions has weakened following a 2021 military takeover. It says the number of online wildlife sales rose 74% over a year earlier to 11,046. Nearly all were of live animals. They included civets, which along with pangolins have been identified as potential vectors in the spread of diseases such as SARS and COVID-19. The WWF study focused on online sales of wildlife inside Myanmar. The group said it plans further studies on Myanmar’s role in global online wildlife trading.