The World Animal Protection recently released a study entitled, "Farmed for Profit: The Global Truth About Commercial Wildlife Farming." The report uncovers the staggering scale of commercial wildlife farming globally, with at least 488 species farmed, and a conservative estimate of 5.5 billion animals involved. The findings were published in Global Ecology and Conservation.
Since the late 20th century, the commercial wildlife farming industry has quietly emerged and rapidly grown into a global enterprise involving billions of animals. Farmed wild animals and their products are primarily used as pets, for entertainment and tourism, decoration, exotic food, fashion, and traditional medicine. According to World Animal Protection's records, 960 million animals were commercially farmed between 2000 and 2020, across 90 countries and territories worldwide.
However, these figures are likely just the tip of the iceberg. Researchers estimate that the true number of animals farmed globally is likely in the region of 5.5 billion. Of the species farmed, 34% are classified as critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, and 62% are listed on CITES appendices.
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The study further highlights that the commercial farming of wild animals is often characterized by:
While some farms have established standards, welfare safeguards are often inadequate, resulting in captive wild animals suffering from injuries, illnesses, malnutrition, and even cannibalism.
Furthermore, their fate becomes even more precarious during economic downturns or disease outbreaks. It is estimated that zoonotic diseases kill over 2 million people globally each year, with 72% of emerging infectious diseases originating from wildlife. Some farms house as many as 50,000 wild animals, greatly increasing the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.
The report also challenges the notion that "wildlife farming contributes to species conservation," arguing that commercializing wildlife products is a major driver of global species extinction. The commercial-scale farming of wild animals not only drives down product prices but also fuels demand, leading to captive populations of species such as tigers, rusa deer, and saiga antelopes that now outnumber their wild counterparts.
According to Nick Stewart, Global Head of Wildlife at World Animal Protection, the most effective way to mitigate these risks is to reduce demand for wild animal products, transition away from commercial wildlife farming, support alternative livelihoods for local communities, and encourage consumers to choose wildlife-friendly alternatives.
World Animal Protection is an international non-profit organization. This study is the first global assessment of the scale of the commercial wildlife farming industry and aims to galvanize action from governments, organizations, and the public to protect wildlife.
Related paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423000872
