Global Scale
The chart below demonstrates the flow of the illicit wildlife trade between regions. As this chart indicates, the scope of wildlife trafficking is truly international. From origin points in countries that serve as sources of wildlife, through transit countries with infrastructure for the forward movement of wildlife shipments, to destination countries that function as end markets for wildlife specimens, a shipment of wildlife or wildlife product may traverse numerous jurisdictions during its journey.
Number of Seizures vs. Number of Country-Linked Seizures
A seizure count is the number of interdictions of wildlife or wildlife products in a given location, whereas a country-linked seizure count refers to the number of incidents of wildlife trafficking that originated, transited, or were destined for a specific country, regardless of whether or not the incident of wildlife trafficking was interdicted in that country. The county-linked seizure count of a country is therefore always equal to or greater than the seizure count of the same country.
For example, if a shipment of rhino horn originating in South Africa and destined for Vietnam is seized in transit at an airport in Turkey, Turkey would have a count of 1 for seizures and 1 for country-linked seizures; South Africa would have a count of 0 for seizures and 1 for country-linked seizures, and Vietnam would have a count of 0 for seizures and 1 for country-linked seizure.
Instances of a wildlife trafficking shipment passing through a country without being seized are considered “missed” seizure opportunities. Furthermore, in instances where a wildlife trafficking shipment is seized prior to reaching its intended destination, the destination country would be considered as having had “no opportunity” to seize the shipment. Therefore, in the prior example South Africa would be considered as having “missed” the seizure and Vietnam would be considered as having had “no opportunity” to interdict the shipment.