By Comfort Nkong

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) says over 4,000 wildlife species are affected by trafficking.
In the new World Wildlife Crime Report released recently of which Nigeria was a case study, UNODC  says it finds that –” despite positive signs in reducing trafficking impacts for some iconic species like elephants and rhinoceros – wildlife trafficking overall has not been substantially reduced over two decades”.
It further says “more consistent enforcement to tackle both supply and demand, effective implementation of legislation, including anti-corruption laws, and stronger monitoring and research are needed”
.A release by ChiomaEkene-Ugwu ,UNODC communication officer says “some of the species worse affected – like rare orchids, succulents, reptiles, fish, birds and mammals – receive little public attention, though wildlife trafficking appears to have played a major role in their local or global extinctions’.

AAccording to the report, “Wildlife crime inflicts untold harm upon nature, and it also jeopardizes livelihoods, public health, good governance and our planet’s ability to fight climate change,” said Ghada Waly, UNODC Executive Director. “To address this crime, we must match the adaptability and agility of the illegal wildlife trade. This demands strong, targeted interventions at both the demand and the supply side of the trafficking chain, efforts to reduce criminal incentives and profits, and greater investment in data, analysis, and monitoring capacities.”

The third edition of the World Wildlife Crime Report examines trends, harms, impacts and drivers of the trafficking of protected wildlife species; evaluates the effectiveness of interventions to combat the trade; and provides policy recommendations.

Wild life crime disrupts the delicate balance of the ecosystem apart from its direct impact on the species.

It also robs countries of the socioeconomic benefits of having the species.