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Abstract
High consumer demand for illicit goods such as ivory and exotic animals has created a $19 billion global illegal wildlife trafficking industry. Recently, countries have collaborated to prosecute smugglers and poachers with new bans on imports and sales of smuggled goods. In addition to new protections for rhinos and elephants being hunted for ivory, international groups are working to protect sharks, whales, tigers and tuna from human threats. The European Union’s ban on sales of animal-tested products has led other countries to follow suit, though other measures related to circus animals and bullfighting in European countries remain controversial. In the United States, new questions about extending human rights to high-intelligence animals, including chimpanzees and dolphins, have emerged in the courts. Federal and state authorities also have passed restrictions on animal breeders and owners of exotic pets.