Expanded wildlife identification guide for law enforcement agencies across Southeast Asia

Telling species apart is a challenge for enforcement officers, especially those whose primary task isn’t solely focused on detecting smuggled wildlife or those who have not been trained in this skill,”

TRAFFIC Programme Officer Serene Chng and a co-author of the Guide

The Identification of Commonly Traded Wildlife in Southeast Asia guide features more than 57 wildlife taxa, including some of the region’s most frequently confiscated live wild animals, parts, and products.

“This guide is designed as a quick reference for enforcers to determine if a case before them requires more scrutiny, investigation or action,” said Chng.

For example, all ten species of lorises are heavily trafficked for the pet trade and for use as traditional medicine despite being protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) or national legislation.

Recording the correct taxa being illegal traded is critical for conservation and prosecution efforts. However, it is often difficult to differentiate the different species. For example, the Kayan Slow Loris (listed on the IUCN Red List as vulnerable), the endangered Great Slow Loris and the critically endangered Bangka Slow Loris have very similar markings.

Other trafficked and hard to distinguish species are listed in this guide, such as macaques, songbirds, freshwater turtles and tortoises.

A similar guide that focused on commonly trafficked species in the Golden Triangle areas of Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand was released in 2020.

TRAFFIC will be distributing a limited number of printed copies to law enforcement agencies and CITES authorities in Southeast Asia.