“Just half an hour daily monitoring over five months of 14 Facebook groups in Peninsular Malaysia by Traffic researchers found more than 300 apparently wild, live animals for sale as pets,” said Traffic in a media statement.
These wild animals, it said, ranged from sun bears and gibbons to otters and binturong (bearcats).
“The rise of social media appears to have created a thriving marketplace for wild animals as pets, where previously it didn’t exist in Malaysia,” said Traffic Southeast Asia programme manager Kanitha Krishnasamy.
According to the Traffic research report, most of the 14 Facebook groups were closed groups that required one to be a member to trade online or to view postings.
“At the time of monitoring, the groups boasted close to 68,000 active members, while the 106 identified unique sellers had made little effort to conceal their illegal activities,” said Traffic.
Facebook is currently working with Traffic to prevent abuse of the platform, according to a Facebook spokesperson.
“We are committed to working with Traffic to help tackle the illegal online trade of wildlife in Malaysia,” the spokesperson said. “Facebook does not allow the sale and trade of endangered animals. We will not hesitate to remove any content that violates our terms of service.”
The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has launched a number of successful operations against wildlife traders operating on Facebook.
Perhilitan has been monitoring more than 30 Facebook groups selling wildlife since 2013, according to Perhilitan Director of Enforcement Hasnan Yusop.
“Perhilitan has taken measures to address the problem, including working with other law enforcement agencies to stop the illegal trade of wildlife on Facebook,” he said.
“We have carried out 43 successful seizures, arrested at least 54 illegal traders and saved more than 67 wildlife species from being traded illegally on Facebook.”
According to Traffic, there is a high demand for local wildlife as pets, with more than 60% of the 80 species recorded during the monitoring being native to Malaysia.
Almost half of the species recorded are totally protected from hunting or trade under the Malaysian Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
Twenty-five of the 69 non-native species for sale are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which restricts or prohibits their commercial international trade.
Traffic recommends, among other measures, closer collaboration between enforcement agencies and Facebook to enable effective targeting of offenders. It also urges social media sites to do more to raise awareness of the issue and to denounce illegal activities.