Guangzhou's exotic pet breeding base was investigated: Illegal trading of green iguanas and other protected animals
Recently, relevant departments in Guangzhou investigated and dealt with a foreign pet base suspected of illegal breeding and trading of wild animals, and seized live bodies and products including green iguanas and ball pythons and other key protected animals. The incident has attracted widespread attention from the society and has become one of the hot topics on the Internet in the past 10 days. The following are the details of the event and structured data analysis.
1. Core information of the case
| Seize time | Location of the case | Main species involved | Quantity statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 20, 2023 | A farm in Baiyun District, Guangzhou | Green iguana (National Class II protected animal) | 47 |
| Ball Python (Species Appendix II of CITES) | 32 items | ||
| Other reptiles | More than 200 |
2. Analysis of online public opinion data
Through monitoring of platforms such as Weibo, Douyin, Baidu Index and other platforms (November 20-30):
| platform | Readings of related topics | Number of discussion items | Top rankings for hot searches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 million | 83,000 | No. 7 | |
| Tik Tok | #Dissorted pet trading black industry# Views 68 million | 21,000 videos | No. 3 in the social list |
| Zhihu | The popularity of the special discussion is 845,000 | 1200+ answers | Top 5 Science |
3. Comparison of the protection level of animals involved in the case
| Species name | Domestic protection level | Appendix to the International Convention | Average unit price involved in the case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green iguana | National Level 2 | CITES II | 800-1500 yuan |
| Ball Python | Three animals | CITES II | 2000-5000 yuan |
| Leopard print ceremonial guard | none | Not included | RMB 300-800 |
4. Characteristics of the illegal peat trading industry chain
According to the information disclosed by law enforcement agencies:
| Section | How to operate | Typical cases |
|---|---|---|
| Smuggling into the country | Declare customs for ordinary goods | 500 live turtles were seized in Shenzhen in 2022 |
| Breeding and whitening | Forged artificial breeding license | The base involved in this case holds invalid certificates |
| Online sales | Transaction through code words (example: "Little Green Dragon" refers to green iguana) | 256 related products were removed from Xianyu platform |
5. Expert interpretation and legal warning
Professor Li from the South China Wildlife Conservation Institute pointed out:There are three major risks behind the "Extraordinary Pet Hot":
1. Ecological security risks: Escape from alien species may cause biological invasion
2. Public health risks: 70% of new infectious diseases are from autopsy
3. Legal risks: Individuals purchase of protected animals is also suspected of illegal
According to Article 341 of the Criminal Law, if illegally purchasing, transporting, or selling key protected animals in states and selling particularly serious circumstances, they may be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of more than ten years. In 2023, 63 similar cases have been investigated and dealt with nationwide, an increase of 22% year-on-year.
6. Public response and industry impact
After the incident was exposed, multiple e-commerce platforms removed the keyword "Spread Pet" products, and the Forum of Climbing Pets launched a self-discipline initiative. Animal welfare organizations remind: Before raising pets, you should check the "National List of Key Protected Wild Animals" and refuse to purchase animals of unknown origin.
This case once again highlights the contradiction between wildlife protection and emerging pet markets. Relevant departments said that they will continue to carry out the "Qingfeng 2023" special campaign, focusing on cracking down on the illegal wildlife trading chain.
check the details
check the details
en
