#WildEye investigations

EU’s mega-rich fuelling illegal ‘blood timber’ trade

Since the military seized power in Myanmar in 2021 and the European Union imposed sanctions on the junta, the teak trade has been pushed underground. Sarah Tekath investigates...
25 Mar, 2022
Emerging threats to China’s snow leopard population

Online trade and China's ambitious Belt and Road development plans pose new threats to the ‘poster boy’ of ecosystem conservation in Asia, reports Hsiuwen Liu...
31 Jan, 2022
Tigers à la carte

Captive tigers are big business in France. A new law to ban wild animals in circuses could change this – or end up driving the market underground. Guillaume Pajot investigates...
12 Mar, 2021
Until the last tiger roars

Lack of data about the tiger trade in Europe is stimulating illegal trafficking in this endangered species – and Italy and France are two major hotspots. Rudi Bressa investigates...
10 Mar, 2021
Data investigation exposes illegal wildlife trade in Eastern Europe

New #WildEye data reveals that Eastern Europe is an important region for wildlife traffickers. And it seems likely that many crimes go unnoticed and unpunished, writes Marius Daea...
02 Jul, 2020
Inside the global conservation organisation infiltrated by trophy hunters

Indepth investigation shows trophy hunters and luxury fashion brands working to influence the IUCN, the world’s leading authority on endangered species conservation...
14 Feb, 2020
Seahorse black market devastates Italy’s coast

Organised illegal trade with links to China is affecting endangered marine species across the Puglia region. Investigation by Peter Yeung & Carlotta Dotto...
19 Dec, 2019
Cyber sleuths crack down on online wildlife crime

Law enforcement agencies in Europe are making an impact on illegal wildlife e-commerce, a #WildEye data investigation shows...
09 Dec, 2019
‘Greatest wildlife crime on the planet’ threatens multiple ecosystems

Millions of glass eels are smuggled out of Europe each year, and their looming extinction poses a serious ecological threat. #WildEye investigates...
13 Nov, 2019
Caviar, crime and corruption

This story of an ancient species at risk is also the story of a proud people laid low by regulation. It shows that conservation is never simple, writes Marius Daea...
10 Oct, 2019
The fight to bring a deadly illegal industry to justice

Modern investigative techniques used to solve human crimes are now helping to catch wildlife poachers, smugglers and traffickers. Léa Surugue investigates...
25 Sep, 2019
Craving for caviar is driving the Danube sturgeon to extinction

Rising demand from consumers, local greed in a failing economy, weak controls and corrupt law enforcement are driving wild sturgeon in the Danube to extinction. By Denise Hruby...
27 Aug, 2019
Inside the temple of trade

Thousands of euros change hands at reptile trade fairs, but it's hard to tell if the deals are legal or not. Rudi Bressa investigates...
02 Aug, 2019
How we (almost) became reptile smugglers

Cyberspace provides an anonymous, versatile marketplace for illegal wildlife trade. Rudi Bressa investigates how easy it is to set up illicit deals from Italy...
30 Jul, 2019
Europe cracks down on wildlife crime

Analysis of #WildEye data shows there has been an increase in the number of court cases and convictions taking place across Europe, writes Roxanne Joseph...
26 Jul, 2019
Europe’s eggheads drive the demise of ‘king of parrots’

In a sophisticated laundering scheme, traffickers fly the eggs to Europe, incubate them and pass off the live birds as captive-bred. Denise Hruby investigates...
10 Jun, 2019
German customs train dogs to sniff out species smuggling

For organised crime, the smuggling of endangered species is a lucrative business. Denise Hruby reports on how German customs agents use tracking dogs to crack down on the trade...
23 May, 2019
Clipping the wings of Italy’s bird poachers

More than five million birds are hunted illegally in Italy every year – by far the most in Europe. Matteo Civillini investigates efforts to crack down on offenders...
15 May, 2019
How wildlife traffickers exploit Chinese New Year

The busy festive period is perfect for slipping abalone and other illegal animals through customs, writes Denise Hruby...
06 Feb, 2019
Dynamic data discovery: The future of detecting wildlife cybercrime

Being able to identify online transactions and conversations involving vulnerable species will assist in the fight against wildlife trafficking. Roxanne Joseph reports...
04 Feb, 2019
Digital tool tracks Europe’s role in illegal wildlife trade

Our digital geojournalism tool #WildEye gives easy access to data on seizures, arrests, court cases and convictions related to wildlife crime in Europe...
28 Jan, 2019
Czech tiger farm exposes illegal trade in heart of Europe

Gruesome discovery of organised transnational crime ring exposes how illegal tiger farms are operating in the middle of the European Union. Tristan Martin investigates...
15 Jan, 2019
Ideal cover for wildlife traffickers

Wildlife criminals are increasingly using Europe's mail and online retail delivery services to smuggle their contraband. Denise Hruby investigates...
14 Jan, 2019
Disrupting wildlife crime on the Dark Web

As enforcement steps up, illicit operations go deeper into darkness. New research suggests the marketplace could become impossible to disrupt, writes Roxanne Joseph...
27 Nov, 2018
‘Evidence failure’ blights fight against illegal wildlife trade

Experts want to see a more scientific approach to designing, monitoring and evaluating interventions against wildlife crime, reports Mike Shanahan...
25 Oct, 2018
‘A criminal problem, with a capital C’

The illegal trade driving the world’s smallest marine mammal to extinction carries an important lesson for broader efforts to combat wildlife crime, writes Mike Shanahan...
25 Oct, 2018
Bridging the gap between science and policy

Researchers explore ways to bring attention to and inform policy on illegal wildlife trade. By Sara Schonhardt and James Fahn...
10 Oct, 2018
Fury at release of rhino ‘pseudo-hunt’ kingpin

Outrage greeted the early release of notorious Thai trafficker Chumlong Lemtongthai, who used false South African hunting permits to launder rhino horns. Simon Bloch reports...
13 Sep, 2018
The black market for jaguar body parts

Across Asia and the Chinatowns of Europe a growing demand for jaguar body parts is placing pressure on the big cats of the Americas. Eduardo Franco Berton investigates...
31 Aug, 2018
Online trade: the devil’s in the data

Law enforcement agencies are creating new ways to combat online illegal wildlife trade. A centralised data repository is crucial to their success, writes Roxanne Joseph...
16 Aug, 2018
How to spot illegal wildlife trade on social media

Roxanne Joseph asks questions you can use to tell the difference between legal and illegal advertising of animal products on social media...
13 Jul, 2018