Illegal wildlife trade in NepalCEFR A2
14 Dec 2025
Adapted from Sonia Awale, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Vickey Goh, Unsplash
Illegal wildlife trade is a major global business, estimated at USD 20 billion a year in 2023. Much trafficked wildlife is smuggled to China and Southeast Asia for traditional medicine or food. Nepal is both a source country and a transit route for this trade.
Nepal has strict laws to protect wildlife, but many arrests focus on low-level actors. Indigenous and poor people who carry, transport or sell wildlife are often caught and punished, while higher-level traffickers are rarely arrested. Experts say reform, education and livelihood support are needed to help communities and reduce crime.
Difficult words
- smuggle — move goods secretly to another countrysmuggled
- trafficker — person who sells things illegally across borderstraffickers
- transit route — path where goods travel through a country
- indigenous — people native to a particular region or land
- livelihood — work and income that support a person's life
- reform — change in laws or systems to improve things
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why might poor people carry or sell wildlife?
- How could education help reduce wildlife crime in communities?
- What kinds of livelihood support could help people avoid wildlife trade?
Related articles
Cholera spreads where water and health systems fail
Cholera spread widely in 2024, with 560,823 reported cases and 6,028 deaths. Conflict, climate shocks and damaged water and health services drove outbreaks, while vaccines and better water and sanitation are key to preventing deaths.
Tanzania fights rabies with mass dog vaccination
Tanzania is working to stop human rabies by vaccinating dogs, improving surveillance and keeping vaccines cold. High vaccine costs, remote villages and lack of electricity remain challenges, but local and international efforts are growing.