Multi-lingual multi-platform investigations of online trade in jaguar parts

PLoS One. 2023 Jan 23;18(1):e0280039. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280039. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

We conducted research to understand online trade in jaguar parts and develop tools of utility for jaguars and other species. Our research took place to identify potential trade across 31 online platforms in Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, French, Chinese, and Vietnamese. We identified 230 posts from between 2009 and 2019. We screened the images of animal parts shown in search results to verify if from jaguar; 71 posts on 12 different platforms in four languages were accompanied by images identified as definitely jaguar, including a total of 125 jaguar parts (50.7% posts in Spanish, 25.4% Portuguese, 22.5% Chinese and 1.4% French). Search effort varied among languages due to staff availability. Standardizing for effort across languages by dividing number of posts advertising jaguars by search time and number of individual searches completed via term/platform combinations changed the proportions the rankings of posts adjusted for effort were led by Portuguese, Chinese, and Spanish. Teeth were the most common part; 156 posts offered at least 367 teeth and from these, 95 were assessed as definitely jaguar; 71 of which could be linked to a location, with the majority offered for sale from Mexico, China, Bolivia, and Brazil (26.8, 25.4, 16.9, and 12.7% respectively). The second most traded item, skins and derivative items were only identified from Latin America: Brazil (7), followed by Peru (6), Bolivia (3), Mexico (2 and 1 skin piece), and Nicaragua and Venezuela (1 each). Whether by number of posts or pieces, the most commonly parts were: teeth, skins/pieces of skins, heads, and bodies. Our research took place within a longer-term project to assist law enforcement in host countries to better identify potential illegal trade and presents a snapshot of online jaguar trade and methods that also may have utility for many species traded online.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Conservation of Natural Resources
  • Mexico
  • Panthera*
  • Peru

Grants and funding

This publication has been produced with the financial support of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the European Union, and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). The research and paper were prepared with the support of the following grants, supporting the following individuals as specified. US Fish and Wildlife Service F18AP00757 Addressing illegal wildlife trafficking in Latin America AR, RW, JP, KD, JM, JR, RP, HN, SZ, TM, DR, KR, CD, MA European Union Env/2018/401-256 Scaling up enforcement capacity and cooperation to combat wildlife and timber trafficking in the Andes Amazon YM, AR, RW, MDS, AEL, MD Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Legal Affairs (INL) Strengthening capacity and commitment to combat wildlife trafficking in Latin America SINLEC18GR2076 YM, AR, AEL, JP The WCS Graduate Scholarship Program, a program of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Christensen Conservation Leaders Scholarship supported Thais Morcatty and Melissa Arias. The Wildlife Conservation Network Scholarship Program supported Thais Morcatty through the Sidney Byers Scholarship award and Melissa Arias through the Pat J. Miller Scholarship. Thais Morcatty was additionally supported by the British Federation of Women Graduates through the Funds for Women Graduates. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the donors. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, or preparation of the manuscript.