Wildlife group: Exotic pets trade activity rises on Facebook

BANGKOK — A wildlife monitoring group said research it has conducted since 2016 has found that people are increasingly buying and selling endangered animals on Facebook groups in Thailand.

TRAFFIC said in a report to be launched online on Wednesday that its researchers found increased activity among 12 Facebook groups it has monitored. It said total membership among the groups has almost doubled, rising from 106,111 in 2016 to 203,445 in 2018.

The report said that: “Thai authorities should establish a close working relationship with Facebook and develop joint strategies to tackle this problem.”

Facebook said in an email that it is “committed to working with TRAFFIC and law enforcement authorities to help tackle the illegal online trade of wildlife in Thailand.”  /kga