Why Canada Struggles To Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade

A confiscated lion pelt with head at a federal wildlife seizure room in a secret location near the nation's capital. March 24, 2026. Image by Shelby Lisk/The Globe and Mail. Canada.

Billions of dollars of illegal wildlife parts get trafficked around the world each year. Think elephant tusks, rhino horns, polar bear pelts and even some rare plants, like wild ginseng. One of the countries caught up in these criminal networks is Canada.

Jenn Thornhill Verma looked into how Canada has become such a hub in the illegal wildlife trade and why the organized crime is flying under the radar. Her reporting is part of The Globe and Mail’s Surfaced series in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s Ocean Reporting Network.

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