New funding award to tackle wildlife crime

Thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, TRAFFIC is delighted to announce a new collaboration with the Postcode Animals Trust to fight illegal wildlife crime. 

Globally, TRAFFIC is the leading charity working to stop illegal trade in wild species. 

Illegal wildlife trade is a major cause of biodiversity loss, deforestation, and environmental damage. It’s the fourth biggest illegal trade worldwide, worth $22 billion each year.

Hidden, and receiving less attention than other illegal activities, it also robs local communities of essential livelihoods, whilst driving many species to extinction.  

Thanks to a funding award of £450,000, raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, TRAFFIC is now able to do even more to protect animals, plants, people and the planet.

With our partner TRACE, players have already supported work helping law enforcement officials fight back against poaching in southern Africa. A new forensics lab in Malawi helps provide evidence of ivory being poached, and helps authorities to successfully prosecute wildlife traffickers. 

Now, the new award raised by players will help widen TRAFFIC’S  impact. For example, we are working with reformed poachers in Tanzania to help provide alternative livelihoods and spread word of how poaching destroys lives.

Thanks to the players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we can increase action to tackle illegal wildlife crime, stopping criminal gangs in their tracks, and enabling local communities to benefit from the natural resources around them.

TRAFFIC Executive Director Richard Scobey