We combat global wildlife crime by tackling every link on the illegal trade chain—from source, to transit to destination.

IFAW’s suggestions based on long-term wildlife cybercrime research directly facilitate the establishment of an inter-sector working group focusing on combating wildlife cybercrime. With IFAW named as a consultant, the working groups are led by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. They are also joined by relevant enforcement, regulatory agencies and major internet companies. At the 2022 Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online Annual Event led by IFAW, we brought Weipaitang—a leading online auction platform—to join the Coalition, making the number of Coalition members grow to 47. 

The Chinese Government, acting on a tip from IFAW, banned the auction of tiger bone, rhino horn and elephant ivory. The ban resulted in a 90% reduction in auction sales of elephant ivory in 2012, triggering the first drop in elephant poaching in an onslaught that claimed the lives of 100,000 African elephants in three years. 

Baidu, the largest Chinese language search engine shut down over a dozen online “bars” dedicated to the trading of wild animal parts such as elephant ivory, tiger bone and rhino horn.

IFAW facilitated two workshops to enhance cross-border collaboration between Customs agencies in China and Vietnam. Immediately after the workshops, large seizures of wildlife parts and products were made in multiple Asian ports.  

IFAW’s ‘Mom, I Have Teeth’ campaign sensitizing Chinese citizens to the fact that ivory comes from dead elephants, went up at airports, subway stations and bus stops across China. The prime advertising real estate freed up after the Beijing Olympics, worth millions of US dollars, was donated in-kind by outdoor advertising giant JCDecaux. The message resonated with the Chinese public so much that it was adopted into the College Entrance Exam as a language test, reaching 9 million college applicants. 

Alibaba and its Chinese subsidiary Taobao prohibited the trade of parts and products from elephants, tigers, bears, rhinos, pangolins, sea turtles and sharks, from their e-commerce platforms.