Live animals are often traded in plain sight. When bundled with legal documentation, animals can be exported all over the world. The growing international trade in animals for the zoo, pet and medical research industries provides opportunities for criminals with expertise in documentation and shipping requirements to game the system and export trafficked animals.

Companies seeking to mitigate their risks of exposure to specific trafficking risks such as this often incorporate red flags into their monitoring systems. In this case, red flags and pointers on what to look for include:

• Past involvement in IWT: Some wildlife breeders, ranches, rehabilitation centres, brokers and legal wildlife trade exporters in South Africa have been accused of trafficking rhino horns, live rhinos and big cat bones. Screening systems for the names of companies and individuals implicated in IWT cases can help to reduce risks; much of this information is available in open-source media or via the United for Wildlife Taskforces.
• Export of CITES Appendix I species: Any export involving species listed under CITES Appendix I should receive extra scrutiny. Wild-caught species are often mislabelled for export as captive bred, even when no captive breeding facilities or records exist in the country. Breeding facilities for Appendix I species must be registered with CITES. Permits issued on false or misleading information are subject to revocation and may be illegal.
• Missing or incorrect destination addresses: Destination locations listed on import forms are regularly falsified, making it difficult for investigators to determine the true destination of exported wildlife from shipping documentation.
• Export of Appendix I species to commercial businesses: The international sale of Appendix I species is prohibited for primarily commercial purposes, yet animal importers and brokers regularly supply wildlife to the booming animal exhibition industry in countries including China. Suspect transactions often result from negligence in conducting due diligence or complicity with illegal practices to procure, ship and trade protected wildlife.

Members of the United for Wildlife Transport and Financial Taskforces have access to an up-to-date database of red flags and alerts for different locations and trafficking risks.