Bats, primates and rodents are amazing animals, that naturally harbor diseases. When we exploit them through trade and habitat infringement, those diseases can infect us.
Download the report: Dealing in Disease: How U.S. Wildlife Imports Fuel Global Pandemic Risks (PDF)
Influx of Millions of Bat, Primate, Rodent Parts Raises Disease
Danger in Source Countries
WASHINGTON—The United States imported almost 23 million whole
animals, parts, samples and products made from bats, primates and
rodents over a recent five-year period, according to a report
released today by the Center for Biological Diversity. Rodents, bats
and primates harbor 75% of known zoonotic viruses — pathogens that
spread from animals to people.
Today’s analysis of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data found that
the most common commercial imports were paperweights made with bats
encased in acrylic, primate skulls for décor and rodent-fur fishing
flies. Dealing in Disease, the Center’s report, notes that the
wildlife trade creates ideal conditions for the emergence of new
zoonotic diseases — including the virus causing COVID-19 — that
could fuel the next pandemic.
“The voracious U.S. appetite for these imports wipes out wildlife
and breeds disease,” said report author Tanya Sanerib, the Center’s
international legal director. “Bats, primates and rodents are
amazing animals, that naturally harbor diseases. When we exploit
them through trade and habitat infringement, those diseases can
infect us. The insatiable demand for wildlife products in the United
States is a dangerous problem that can’t be ignored.”
The Center’s report also found that:
It’s horrific that the U.S. is driving up disease risk and damaging
ecosystems to import bat paperweights and other trinkets,” said
Sanerib. “U.S. demand fuels the risky exploitation of wildlife and
habitat globally, so we can’t just point a finger at China or
biodiversity-rich countries in the developing world. We desperately
need action at home to halt demand for wildlife.”
Overall, the United States consumes roughly 20% of the global
wildlife market. In 2019 scientists convened by the United Nations
predicted the loss of a million species in the coming decades, with
habitat destruction and wildlife exploitation playing major roles in
these extinctions.
To protect life on Earth and reduce the risk of another pandemic,
the Center’s report calls for a ban on the wildlife trade along with
funding and support to transition livelihoods and strengthen U.S.
conservation efforts globally.
"Dealing in Disease" explores how U.S. wildlife imports fuel disease risk and habitat destruction. Download the report: Dealing in Disease: How U.S. Wildlife Imports Fuel Global Pandemic Risks (PDF)