Illegal wildlife trafficking has surged since 2023 across key biodiversity hotspots in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
These countries serve as source, transit, and destination points for various wildlife species, including gibbons and siamangs, all of which are either Endangered (EN) or Critically Endangered (CR) under the IUCN Red List. All gibbons and siamangs are also totally protected from international trade under CITES Appendix I. Learn more about gibbons and siamangs here.
Organised trafficking syndicates exploit porous borders, weak enforcement, and inadequate coordination between nations to fuel the international demand for gibbons in the exotic pet trade and entertainment industries, as well as for private collections and political diplomacy.
Recent cases have highlighted increases in the trafficking of gibbons and siamangs from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand – by boat, overland, and air trafficking through the Thai and Malaysian airports, with most seizures taking place at Indian airports.
Learn more on the SGA website here.