Summer 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic that continues to wreak havoc on human health and economies is proving that continued exploitation of animals in the wild harms more than their lives.

At a time when the federal government is rolling back public land protections at an alarming rate, a new study by Defenders of Wildlife and Tufts University finds those protections are crucial for vulnerable wildlife populations.

With experts pointing to a live animal market in China as the suspected source of COVID-19, the illness that continues to infect millions of people worldwide, Defenders is joining the World Health Organization, United Nations Environment Programme and the World Organization for Animal Health to call for an end to illegal wildlife trade and live markets across the globe.