Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California had disrupted several major wildlife trafficking operations, including seizing hundreds of illegal products made from ivory, rhino horn, walrus tusks, suspected bear gall bladders, saiga antelope, and turtle shells.
“The international illegal market for these products encourages poaching and threatens global biodiversity — California wants no part of it. We’re using every tool at our disposal to catch and shut down these trafficking rings,” said Newsom.
This year marks the 10-year anniversary of AB 96 – landmark legislation that banned the sale of ivory in California, and California is committed to working with state, federal, and international partners to aggressively identify, disrupt, and dismantle illicit markets.
A range of NGOs continue to tackle the drivers for the illegal wildlife trade globally. One is California-based Global Conservation Force (GCF). The organization approaches global conservation challenges through four strategic pillars:
1. Anti-Poaching: K9 programs, sponsored ranger training, and gear programs
2. Veterinary, Rehabilitation, and Research: supporting in-situ conservationists and research efforts, veterinary and wildlife rehabilitation training and equipment, wildlife GPS collaring and emergency relocations and camera trapping, and animal population monitoring
3. Education and Awareness: Community-based conservation education programs in Africa and Asia, filming and participation in wildlife documentaries, professional education for law enforcement and the public
4. Counter Wildlife Trafficking: intelligence-driven operations at local, regional, and international levels, actionable intelligence provided to international law enforcement.
GCF engages with media, connecting with movie studios, news outlets, television channels, and independent filmmakers worldwide. These collaborations have resulted in multiple award-winning programs that have reached millions of viewers, from NBC on Super Bowl Sunday to Brave Wilderness’s 42 million viewer platform, raising awareness of conservation issues and showcasing frontline wildlife protection work. Through these efforts, GCF has attracted major celebrity ambassadors and honorary rangers, including Coyote Peterson, Bear Grylls, Blake Moynes, and Antoine Musy.
Meanwhile, World Wildlife Fund highlights that the illegal wildlife trade is constantly changing. It quickly expands into new regions and targets different species in response to demand. Underregulated digital marketplaces and social media platforms have allowed traffickers to reach global buyers, accelerating the complexity and scale of the illicit trade.
WWF works across the supply chain, from source to market, local to global. With the illegal wildlife trade increasingly moving online, it is collaborating with online platforms and social media companies through the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online. Targeted behavior change campaigns in Asia and the US, and resources like its Responsible Pet Guide are some of the ways it is reducing the demand for illegal wildlife and their parts and products.
Members of the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online had blocked over 24.1 million prohibited wildlife listings and suspected illicit sellers between 2018 and 2024. Closing out 2025, that number skyrocketed to 63.3 million, thanks in large part to new AI detection efforts by the companies such as Alibaba and Meta.
Companies are also exploring the use of photo-based automation to surface violating content. eBay is integrating image detection technology into its toolbox to enforce its wildlife products policy.
Baidu and IFAW launched the AI Guardian of Endangered Species 2.0, which can identify images of target species and products online to detect illegal wildlife trade. This upgraded version recognizes 34 species, including both wildlife products and live animals, with an average identification accuracy of 86%. The AI Guardian screened 430,000 suspicious images, accurately identified 40,000 images of targeted wildlife products, and facilitated the removal of 15,000 illegal online postings.
The effects of global efforts are being felt on the ground. WildAid has seen the price of pangolin scales plummet by up to 75% in Cameroon, for example. Data compiled by the wildlife law enforcement group LAGA shows declines of between 45% and 75% in the average prices of scales for all three species of pangolin found in Cameroon between 2020 and 2025. Traffickers are finding fewer buyers thanks to stronger law enforcement, major arrests and seizures, and a sharp decline in demand from China.
Cameroon’s government has strengthened wildlife laws and cracked down on traffickers, making the trade riskier and less profitable than ever before. Meanwhile, Chinese authorities have tightened controls on pangolin products in traditional medicine, while WildAid’s public awareness campaigns are helping shift attitudes.
Over the past 20 years, WildAid China has helped with conservation messaging. Through partnerships with influential ambassadors like Yao Ming and the production of more than 350 videos and 500 minutes of documentary content, WildAid’s campaigns have reached billions each year — contributing to a 70% reduction in the consumption of pangolin products and influencing the country’s historic ban on ivory.
WildAid says one lesson stands out: conservation is a "team sport."
