Thousands Of Flying Squirrels Victims Of Illegal Trafficking In Florida
Northern walleye ( Glaucomys sabrinus ), one of two species of flying squirrels native to North America, is not included in CITES, the Treaty for the Conservation of Threatened Species that prohibits their trade. Furthermore, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), its conservation status is of “least concern”.
Luckily, the state laws of the United States of America protect this species from illegal buying and selling, and the authorities managed to intercept a network that trafficked thousands of flying squirrels from Florida.
Flying squirrels span a vast region of North America, including Alaska and Canada. For several years, a group of traffickers took these animals from their natural habitat and circulated them to other regions of the world, such as Asia. How did they do it? How did the agents stop them? We talk about it in this article.
The illegal flying squirrel trade in Florida
Investigations found that poachers captured more than 3,600 live flying squirrels over a three-year period. This illegal animal trafficking is estimated to have earned the traffickers a profit of over a million dollars.
In several Florida counties, up to 10,000 traps had been set up to capture live animals, which were later sold to a wildlife trader in Bushnell, Florida. This person was in charge of the initial purchase and dispatch, that is, he falsified documents to make it appear that the animals were bred in captivity.
The squirrels were later transported to Chicago in rental cars. After the first falsification to be able to move the squirrels around the country, they were sold to South Korean customers who took them to Asia. During these steps, it was essential to hide the illegal origin of the squirrels in order to export them to the Asian country.
At the same time, and as a resource for expanding the business, another person smuggled squirrels from Georgia, taking them to Orlando and from there to Chicago, from where they would eventually be exported to Asia.
The arrest of traffickers
The operation ended with the arrest of six people and still continues with the search for a seventh who fled and was declared a fugitive.
Police were alerted by a complaint from a Florida citizen who, while walking through a wood in Marion County, discovered the traps and animals and immediately contacted the authorities, who immediately began investigations.
In addition to trafficking in flying squirrels, it appears that the criminal gang has also captured other animals for the same purpose: to sell them abroad with fake IDs. These other species that are victims of illegal trafficking are freshwater turtles and alligators, both of which are protected.
The worrying trend of flying squirrels in Asia
There has been a growing demand for these exotic animals in recent years. In East Asian countries, such as South Korea, many people want to have these cute mammals as pets.
However, flying squirrels are by no means pets, and despite their tender appearance, they can be aggressive, bite, and transmit disease.
In addition to the fashion of keeping these animals as pets, there are pet bars where people can go and play with the squirrels. Another less harmful alternative to nature and increasingly popular in Asia are cafes with cats. Recently they have also opened some in our country.
Finally, there is a series called 4inchers whose protagonists are a flying squirrel called Moong, a hamster, a hedgehog and a duck. This has led to an increase in the popularity of flying squirrels, so more and more people want to have them as pets.
Despite all the consequences for nature, the scourge of wildlife trafficking seems to have no end. Unfortunately, millions of animals are taken out of their natural habitat every day to end up at someone’s home. The worst part is that, during the journey, most of them die from poor transport conditions and stress.
