Exposing the Dark Truth of the Exotic Animal Industry | Rachel Nuwer | Ep. 545

Rachel Nuwer is an award-winning freelance journalist who reports about science, travel, food, and adventure for The New York Times, National Geographic, Scientific American, and more. Her multi-award-winning first book, Poached: Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking, is out now.

Full show notes can be found here: https://jordanharbinger.com/545

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What We Discuss with Rachel Nuwer:

🐻 What drives the global demand for resources cruelly derived from endangered wildlife.
🐻 Why poachers and smugglers are willing to risk their own lives to meet this demand.
🐻 The pros and cons of solutions proposed to stem the tide of this illicit trade — from legalizing it for sustainable sourcing to synthesizing alternatives.
🐻 Why governments are shy to throw the book at the worst offenders, and how the most clever, wealthy, and well-connected usually (but don’t always) bypass legal repercussions for their trafficking transgressions.
🐻 What we can do here and now to promote policies for preserving these species before they vanish forever.
🐻 And much more…

Fair warning: if you love animals and worry about the future of the planet, this one’s going to be a bummer. But the good news is that our guest has witnessed firsthand the horrors contained within the pages of her first book — Poached: Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking — so we don’t have to. In spite of dredging up a number of uncomfortable truths, this is an important episode because it illustrates a problem that can only be fixed if more people know it exists.

On this episode, we’re joined by award-winning freelance journalist Rachel Nuwer to discuss why there’s a global demand for pangolin scales, rhinoceros horns, elephant ivory, bear gall bladders, tiger meat, tree frogs, seahorses, and other rare species — wholly or in part — for applications ranging from sham medical remedies to jewelry to delicacy dining to pets. We’ll also discuss how this illicit market is supplied, who benefits from trading these species into extinction, why governments are lax in enforcing laws meant to prevent this, and what we can do to help drive policy in the right direction so future generations can enjoy the company of these creatures before they’re gone forever. Listen, learn, and enjoy!

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