Turtle

We need your help to stop wildlife trafficking at home and while traveling.

Pledge today to make choices that help save endangered animals around the world.

Take the Pledge Today!

Around the world, including the U.S., endangered wildlife is for sale as products, exotic pets, and in tourist attractions. The savvy traveler knows that just because something is for sale, it does not mean it’s legal or ethical to purchase.

If we do not act quickly, wildlife trafficking will wipe out many endangered species in our lifetime. Wildlife trafficking fuels criminal networks, government instability, and corruption, and threatens human and animal health through the transmission of diseases.

We need your help to stop wildlife trafficking at home and while traveling. Take the savvy travel journey with us below!

How Savvy Are You?

Can you spot the illegal products?

The suitcase in the installation was packed with items you may encounter while traveling abroad.  Can you tell the difference between illegal wildlife products and legal alternatives?  Click on the tiles below to uncover the 4 legal alternatives. 
Bonus: can you also find 2 items to question?

Illegal

Legal

Items to Question

 

Shop for good, not trafficked goods

Around the world, you’ll find wildlife and plant products for sale—as jewelry, clothes, pets, souvenirs, and more. Before you buy your travel souvenirs, make sure that the country you’re visiting allows the export of its native species and other wildlife that you buy or acquire there.

Read More

Some products are made from protected animals and plants and may be illegal to export or import. Other wildlife products may require permits before you can bring them home to the United States.  Be a savvy traveler to avoid having your souvenir confiscated or paying a fine—and help to end wildlife trafficking around the world.

Your purchasing choices matter. Avoid products made from endangered species, such as elephant ivory, sea turtle shell, or fur from tigers and spotted cats. Pay close attention to materials used from wildlife, such as exotic skins and leather, coral, and plants. See our quick list below to be savvy!

Elephant Head Cutout

BUYER BEWARE LIST

  • AVOID

    These items are generally prohibited from being brought into the U.S

  • IconMedicinals made from rhino, tiger or Asiatic black bear
  • IconWild bird feathers and mounted birds
  • IconMost live birds, including parrots, macaws, cockatoos and finches
  • IconLive monkeys or apes
  • IconFur from tigers, most spotted cats, seals, polar bears and sea otters
  • IconIvory, raw and carved
  • IconAll sea turtle and pangolin products
  • ASK

    These items may be prohibited from being brought into the U.S

  • IconSome corals, coral products and shells
  • IconCertain plants - particularly orchids, cacti and cycads
  • IconCertain leather products, including some made from caiman, crocodiles, lizards and snakes
  • IconSome live snakes, turtles, crocodilians and lizards

 

Travel tip: Ask Before You Buy

Be sure to ask about an item’s origin before buying wildlife products.  You should ask:

  • What is this product made of?
  • Where did this product come from?
  • Does the country I’m visiting allow the sale and export of this product?
  • Do I need permits or other documents from this country or the United States to bring this item home?

 

Eat well, not wild

Discover new delicacies, but look out for products made from endangered species. Always avoid soups made from shark fins and sea turtles and say no to medicines and herbal remedies that contain endangered species such as tiger bone, rhino horn, pangolin scales, or Asiatic black bear.

Read More

Foods from species that are threatened, might be legal but are regulated, meaning permits might be required to bring them back to the United States, such as caviar, queen conch, and giant clam meat.  

The consumption of wild animals for consumption can also pose a human and animal health risk.  Live animal markets contain many species of wild animals—alive and dead—that are sharing space with domestic animals and are sold for human consumption.  Avoid visiting markets that sell live animals—especially live wild animals for human consumption.  

Travel tip: Ask about ingredients and their sources whenever you consume something unfamiliar. When in doubt, don’t buy it or consume it.  Your choices will help end wildlife trafficking.

 

 

Take memories, not selfies

Be amazed by the wildlife you see on your travels, but be wary of people who offer selfies and petting opportunities with animals. Before you sign up for a wildlife tour or encounter, or visit a roadside animal attraction, make sure the vendor is accredited and reputable.

Read More

All wildlife facilities are not created equal.  Around the world, you will find roadside zoos, backyard menageries, traveling exhibits, and pseudo-sanctuaries that use their animals for exploitation and profit and lack proper animal care.  Always look for a seal of approval from an accrediting body that upholds rigorous standards of management and animal care, such as the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), and Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS).

Travel Tip: Search for facilities that are accredited by AZA, EAZA, and GFAS.

Campaign Partners

Share your commitment to be a savvy traveler with your friends and family “I Signed the Savvy Traveler Pledge”

How to Be Savvy!

Sign up for a 7 Days of Savvy Travel Tips!

123

People have taken the pledge!

Sign it today
loading