Illegal Souvenirs

Experts confiscated these goods made from animal parts and sold to tourists overseas. © Mike Barrett/WWF

World Wildlife Fund’s podcast series, “Wild Things,” normally take listeners to rain forests, mountaintops and other far-flung field sites. But in the most recent edition, former National Public Radio correspondent John Nielsen unlocks a secure storage room at WWF headquarters in Washington, D.C. That’s where WWF experts in illegal wildlife tracking keep a suitcase full of confiscated items made from seahorses, tiger paws and other animal parts sold to tourists overseas.

Illegal wildlife trade is one of the primary threats to a large number of species. WWF plays an important role in fighting illegal trade, most significantly through TRAFFIC – the world’s largest wildlife trade monitoring network.

Listen to the podcast (running time: 5:49) and learn what not to buy on your next trip.

Hear past episodes of the “Wild Things” podcast.

 Subscribe to this podcast in iTunes.