The trade in wild animals and plants is much larger than previously thought. The scale of the phenomenon is double that of previous estimates, with people around the world trading at least 107,356 species of wild animals, plants and fungi. This is evidenced by the results of a study published in the scientific journal Progress of Science, conducted under the leadership of the University of Melbourne. Previous estimates, including an analysis by the International Council on Biological Diversity and Ecosystems (IPBES), put the figure at around 50,000 species exposed to international trade. The new study covers more than 47,000 species of animals and nearly 50,000 species of plants and fungi used for economic purposes. "When we think of wildlife trafficking, we usually think of the illegal trade in elephants, tigers and raccoons. But there's a lot more to it than that," said research team leader Alice Hughes. According to the study, most of the trade is legal: its annual volume ranges from 220 to 300 billion dollars. At the same time, the volume of illegal trade is estimated at 30-40 billion dollars. In the picture: a baby pangolin, which lives in Asia and Africa.

The trade in wild animals and plants is much larger than previously thought. The scale of the phenomenon is double that of previous estimates, with people around the world trading at least 107,356 species of wild animals, plants and fungi. This is evidenced by the results of a study published in the scientific journal Progress of Science, conducted under the leadership of the University of Melbourne. Previous estimates, including an analysis by the International Council on Biological Diversity and Ecosystems (IPBES), put the figure at around 50,000 species exposed to international trade. The new study covers more than 47,000 species of animals and nearly 50,000 species of plants and fungi used for economic purposes. "When we think of wildlife trafficking, we usually think of the illegal trade in elephants, tigers and raccoons. But there's a lot more to it than that," said research team leader Alice Hughes. According to the study, most of the trade is legal: its annual volume ranges from 220 to 300 billion dollars. At the same time, the volume of illegal trade is estimated at 30-40 billion dollars. In the picture: a baby pangolin, which lives in Asia and Africa.