Exotic animal trade explodes as global demand for reptiles rises

Snakes, crocodiles, tortoises, chameleons and other reptiles are victims of a booming global wildlife trade, as Kenya records a sharp rise in the export of captive-bred and ranched wild animals over the last decade.

The concerns come barely weeks after officers from the National Police Service (NPS), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and customs officials intercepted a python being smuggled through the Namanga border from Tanzania into Kenya.

The 13-foot snake had been concealed inside a wooden box disguised as motor vehicle spare parts aboard a passenger bus travelling to Nairobi. The driver and conductor were arrested as investigations continue.

The growing trade has placed the country under global scrutiny, with conservationists warning that weak oversight, rising international demand and expanding exotic pet markets could threaten biodiversity, animal welfare and even public health.

A new 2026 report by World Animal Protection titled Reptile Trade from Kenya: Analysis of CITES-Listed Captive-Bred Wildlife Exports shows that reptiles now dominate Kenya’s legal export market with exports nearly doubling between 2013 and 2023.

According to the report tortoises, chameleons, snakes, crocodiles and other lesser-known species are increasingly being shipped to global exotic pet, leather and luxury markets. Speaking during the launch of the report in Nairobi, Dr Patrick Muinde of World Animal Protection said the findings reveal the growing scale of wildlife trade globally and Kenya’s expanding role within that network. “Wildlife trade is massive globally, whether legal or illegal. Africa remains central in this trade because of its rich biodiversity and ecosystems,” said Dr Muinde.

According to the report, Kenya recorded 886 export records of captive-bred and ranched wildlife specimens between 2013 and 2023, covering 28 taxa across nine animal orders. Of these, reptiles accounted for 721 records, representing 81.4 per cent of all exports. Birds accounted for 15 per cent while mammals represented 3.5 per cent. The most traded reptiles included tortoises, turtles, lizards and chameleons, many of which were exported alive to international exotic pet markets.

Researchers found that reptile export records almost doubled from 45 records in 2013 to 88 records in 2023, contributing significantly to the overall increase in Kenya’s wildlife exports. Over the same period, the total number of CITES export records more than doubled from 53 in 2013 to 110 in 2023.

More alarming, however, was the rise in the number of individual live reptiles leaving the country. The report shows that exports of live reptiles increased more than tenfold, from 8,551 individuals in 2013 to 86,330 individuals in 2023.

In total, Kenya exported more than 871,783 live wild animals over the ten-year period, with reptiles accounting for the overwhelming majority. “The trajectory is worrying,” Dr Muinde said, “If this trend remains like this, you can imagine what will happen in the next ten years, or even by 2050.”

The study is the first comprehensive assessment of Kenya’s captive-bred and ranched wildlife trade since the enactment of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act in 2013.

The law legalised farming and ranching of certain wildlife species including crocodiles, tortoises, snakes, lizards, butterflies and ostriches. The report notes that the vast majority of exports 80.1 per cent involved live animals.

Researchers documented 710 export records involving 871,783 live animals over the ten-year period. Reptiles alone accounted for 96.1 per cent of all live trade records, involving more than 437,000 individuals between 2013 and 2023.

Birds followed with 434,549 individuals, almost all exported in 2022. The report also reveals the scale of Kenya’s crocodile skin industry.

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Between 2013 and 2023, Kenya exported more than 80,000 skins of Nile crocodiles, mainly destined for Singapore and South Korea, countries known for large leather and tanning industries.

“Just imagine if every skin represents one crocodile,” said Dr Muinde. “That means more than 80,000 crocodiles were slaughtered for skins over ten years.”

Apart from live reptiles and crocodile skins, Kenya also exported peafowl feathers, lion claws, leather products, crocodile meat and even rhinoceros skeletal specimens.

The report recorded 104 export records involving Indian peafowl feathers amounting to millions of specimens and thousands of kilograms. Other exports included 36 African lion claws, 22 kilograms of crocodile meat, rhino skeletons and leather items made from crocodile skins.

Conservationists say the findings show that wildlife trade is no longer limited to iconic species such as elephants and lions. Instead, trade networks are increasingly targeting reptiles, amphibians, insects and lesser-known animals often ignored in mainstream conservation discussions.

“Many people talk about the Big Five when discussing Kenya’s wildlife,” said Dr Muinde. “But how often do we talk about tortoises, chameleons, snakes or even ants? These species are also heavily traded and are equally important to ecosystems.”

Globally, the wildlife trade industry has grown into a multi-billion-dollar business driven by demand for exotic pets, traditional medicine, luxury products, entertainment and fashion.

Between 1997 and 2016, the legal wildlife trade alone was valued at approximately 220 billion US dollars annually.

Meanwhile, an estimated 13 million specimens entered illegal wildlife markets between 2015 and 2021.

Globally, close to one billion animals representing at least 487 species were estimated to have been commercially farmed in 90 countries between 2000 and 2020.

Conservationists warn that captive breeding systems also carry serious risks. Studies increasingly show that some breeding facilities are used to launder wild-caught animals into legal trade chains.

Other concerns include poor animal welfare conditions, genetic erosion of wild populations and increased risk of zoonotic disease transmission in captivity. Tennyson Williams Africa Regional Director at World Animal Protection said Kenya’s decisions on wildlife trade extend beyond economic interests.

“We recognise Kenya’s globally significant wildlife heritage and biodiversity,” he said.

“Kenya’s decisions on wildlife trade have implications beyond economics, touching on animal welfare, public health, conservation and biodiversity protection.”

Williams said WAP opposes both legal and illegal wildlife trade because of the risks involved. “There is a legal aspect of wildlife trade that some people defend, but there is also the illegal side. For us, animal welfare, conservation and public health remain critical concerns,” he said.

The report also raises concern over gaps in scientific knowledge regarding some of the species being traded.

Researchers found that nearly half of the species recorded in trade were either classified as “Near Threatened” or had not been adequately evaluated on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Of the 26 species exported from Kenya during the study period, two the pancake tortoise and the Northern White Rhino are currently classified as Critically Endangered.

The report documented 2,691 live pancake tortoises and 45 pancake tortoise skins in trade. Three exported species, including the grey parrot and humphead wrasse, are listed as Endangered.

Four species, among them the Taita blade-horned chameleon and the Nguru blade-horned chameleon, are classified as Near Threatened.

Researchers also noted that the leopard tortoise, one of the most traded species in Kenya’s reptile trade, has an unknown global population trend despite its increasing commercial demand.

The report identifies Kenya as not only a source country but also a consumer and transit hub within East and Central Africa’s wildlife trade networks.

Wildlife traffickers often move animals through Kenya due to its strategic transport connections and established trade routes. “The question is not just how much wildlife Kenya is trading,” said Dr Muinde.

“It is whether the country can sustainably manage this trade without putting species, ecosystems and biodiversity at risk.”