Illegal Trafficking. Episode 3

Every minute 20 animals are captured and enter the traffic route. The epicenter of this smuggling is located in the heart of the rainforest. The dense vegetation and the fluvial channels at the confluence of the Amazon, Nanay and Itaya rivers, near the city of Iquitos in eastern Peru, constitute the perfect setting for illegal activities to take place, mainly wildlife trafficking.

From here, thousands of species are transferred non-stop through the air, land and water. Most of it ends up in the popular markets of Yurimaguas and Tarapoto.

Most of the trafficked specimens cross the national territory to the coastal cities and the capital city, from where they’re sent abroad. Markets such as Shanghai have become one of the strategic points for illegal trade.

A considerable percentage of trafficked specimens die during transport or at the hands of their captors, before reaching the final markets. Many of these species are vulnerable to extinction, either due to the loss of their habitat or to poaching, because to save various species of fauna from extinction, it’s not enough suppressing the traffic. How could we save animals from extermination and conserve the forests where they live?

The devastation of forests in the Amazon continues at an alarming rate, changing the characteristics of our planet with serious consequences on ecosystems and the climate.

Although more and more people are informed and aware of the magnitude of the threat of climate change, we remain apathetic in the face of this reality.

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GEAR: Shot with a Sony A6000 Lens + Sony 16-50 MM Lens + Sony 35 MM Lens + Manfrotto Tripod + Motorola G4 + Nikon D5300