EINADW #22: A Smuggler’s Life – Australia’s Vulnerable Wildlife

An image of words that highlights the words smuggling and illegal

Not a lot has changed in forty years.

Back in the day when I was a ‘wanna-be’ rock star playing in a band, I wrote a song called “Smuggler’s Life.” I recently found the lyrics I had penned 45 years ago and converted it into a poem. You can read the poem here:

 

I wrote it after watching a show about smuggling native budgies out of Australia to the black market.
It sickened me. I remember singing that song with venom every time we played it in public.

 

Last month, something stirred my emotions again. Another TV program, this one about Australian border patrol. A man tried to smuggle lizards and snakes out of the country:
Forty endangered lizards and four snakes, including a rare albino tree snake.

 

Sadly, most were in such a bad state that they could not return to the wild and had to be euthanized.
His punishment?

 

An 18-month sentence in protective custody. There is no justice in the world!
How can we control this barbaric practice? The light penalties provide little deterrent.

 

While there is a market.

A quick search on the internet reveals how easy it is to buy our birds and reptiles overseas.
Hundreds of vendors cram booths with snakes, lizards, turtles, and frogs in huge convention centers in America, Europe, and Asia. Many of these are rare and exotic native fauna to Australia.

 

There’s a strong demand for unique Australian animals. People will pay a lot for them.
Reptiles sold internationally often fetch five to 28 times their domestic value.

 

A recent study found 170 Australian species for sale in one country. Of these, 33 had never been seen before. The researchers cataloged prices of between $30 and $15,000 per animal.  You can find kangaroos in India. Cockatoos in Indonesia. Australia’s unique and unusual wildlife is showing up where it shouldn’t.

 

Animal trafficking is worth an estimated $450 billion. It is the fourth largest transnational crime after drugs, humans, and firearms.

 

Many believe that thousands of Australian species are being traded illegally abroad. Cockatoos and other native parrots have been especially popular, with a “prolific trade” identified in Asia.  One particular species of lizard, the Australian Shingleback, has a distinctive blue tongue. It is often sold off as its close relative, the blue-tongue lizard (worth more money).

 

Shinglebacks are among the only monogamous reptile species in the world. They can live for up to fifty years, and their value increases significantly when sold as a mating pair. The downside is that if only one of the pair is caught, the other will not mate again.

 

A diamond python snake is held in the arms of a person with swirling tattoos
Image by natarsent_licensed from Depositphotos #21987617

 

Smugglers are getting smarter but are just as cruel.

A high demand for live birds from overseas collectors led to a smuggling boom. A common sulphur-crested cockatoo from Australia could fetch $1,500. A rare glossy black cockatoo could sell for $50,000.

 

Smugglers have now turned to smuggling bird eggs rather than live birds. The risks are lower, and because of sheer numbers, the prize is bigger.
At Australia’s airports, couriers hide eggs and reptiles in their bras, pants, and stockings. Egg smugglers often wear modified vests. Their body heat keeps the eggs viable during the flight.

 

In return, they get free international flights and spending money. They only have to get through customs without attracting any unwanted attention.
At the time of transport, the eggs are usually only days away from hatching. If they hatch in transit, the newly hatched birds are crushed to avoid fellow passengers’ attention. If smugglers suspect they will be caught, they will smash the eggs, hoping to destroy the evidence.

Heartless human beings: little deterrent

The way these reptiles and birds are treated is horrendous. Birds are bound in gaffer tape not to struggle, and lizards have their mouths taped shut.
Imagine a trip that sometimes involves days in a straitjacket without food, water, or oxygen.

 

Smugglers expect many smuggled animals to die. So, they factor in compensation to make it worthwhile.

 

In 2003, the British wildlife show producer of ‘Survival’ was caught at an Australian airport. His suitcases had 64 shingleback lizards, 14 barking geckos, 13 squelching froglets, three thorny devils, 13 spiny-tailed geckos, nine western bearded dragons, and 26 of their eggs.

 

You would think that someone who hosts a survival show would know better.

 

Penalties for these crimes can be fines of $110,000 or 10 years in jail. Like so many of these types of crime, they never eventuate.
Most smugglers get less than a year or are deported. Their fines are also less than the cost of their next run. This was the case that sparked this story.

 

Let’s hope laws will change and improve and that enforcement will increase. We must stop this barbaric practice.
Till next time,
Calvin

 

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Picture of Calvin London

Calvin London

Calvin runs a boutique consulting company. He is an established author of over 50 publications but started this site to explore the lighter side of life and all the curious things it has to offer. He is developing a career as a freelance writer.