TRAFFIC TRADING FACESR E P O R T

MARCH 2016

A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade
Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia
Kanitha Krishnasamy and Sarah Stoner

i

TRAFFIC REPORTTRAFFIC, the wild­life trade monitoringnet­work, is the leading non-governmentalorganization working globally on trade inwild animals and plants in the context of bothbiodiversity conservation and sustainable
development. TRAFFIC is a strategic alliance ofWWF and IUCN.
Reprod­uction of material appearing in thisreport requires written­permission fromthe publisher.
The designations of geographical entities inthis publication, and the presentation of thematerial, do not imply the expression of any
opinion whatsoever on the part of TRAFFIC
or its supporting ­organizations con­cern­ing
the legal status of any country, territory, or
area, or of its authorities, or concerning thedelimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
The views of the authors expressed in thispublication are those of the writers and do notnecessarily reflect those of TRAFFIC,
WWF or IUCN.
Published by TRAFFIC.
Southeast Asia Regional Office
Unit 3-2, 1st Floor, Jalan SS23/11
Taman SEA, 47400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
Telephone : (603) 7880 3940
Fax : (603) 7882 0171
Copyright of material published in this report
is vested in TRAFFIC.
© TRAFFIC 2016.
ISBN no: 978-983-3393-48-0
UK Registered Charity No. 1076722.
Suggested citation: Krishnasamy, K. and Stoner,S. (2016). Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessmenton the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in
Peninsular Malaysia. TRAFFIC. Petaling Jaya,
Selangor, Malaysia.
Front cover photograph: Wildlife in trade on
Facebook in Peninsular Malaysia
Credit: Carlo Convertini

TRADING FACES

A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade
Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia© Carlo Convertini

Kanitha Krishnasamy and Sarah Stoner

Wildlife in trade on Facebook in Peninsular Malaysia

Banded Linsang

Brown Wood-owl

Buﬀy Fish-owl

Crested Serpent-eagle

Flat-headed Cat

Pig-tailed MacaqueT A BL E O F CON T E N T S

iii
Acknowledgements
		iv
Executive Summary
Ringkasan Eksekutifvii

Introduction

1

Popularity of Social Networking and its
use for Wildlife Trade

3

Legislation in Malaysia
Wildlife Conservation Act 2010
International Trade in Endangered Species
Act 2008
Communications and Multimedia
Act 1998

6
6

Methodology

8

Assessment Results
Species Found in Trade - Global Protection
Species Found in Trade - National Protection
Profile of Common Species Observed in Trade
Sellers

9
9
11
13
15

Discussions
The Live Pet Trade
Native vs Non-Native Species in Trade
GroupsSellers
Enforcement Action

17
17
18
19
20
21

Conclusion and Recommendations

23

References

26

Annex 1

29

6
6

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

ii

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
CITES................................................ C. onvention on International Trade in Endangered Species ofWild Fauna and FloraINTESA.............................................International Trade in Endangered Species Act, 2008 Malaysia
IUCN......................................................International Union for Conservation of Nature
MCMC..............................................Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission
MYR..................................................Malaysian Ringgit
PERHILITAN...................................Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular 		
Malaysia
USD...................................................United States Dollar
WCA.................................................Wildlife Conservation Act 2010

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This assessment would not have been possible without Yohind Rau who assisted with various
aspects of the study. From TRAFFIC, Chris R. Shepherd, Elizabeth John, Crawford Allan, Robin
Sawyer, Giavanna Grein, Richard Thomas and Stephanie Pendry are thanked for reviewing thisreport, as is Tiau Kiu Hwa for his assistance with data support. We thank Stuart Williamson of the
New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries for providing valuable insight. Boyd Leupen kindly
copy edited this report. Aqeela Abdul Jalil and Nantha Balan are thanked for assisting with design.
We also thank the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia for their support
throughout this exercise.
Our gratitude goes to WWF-Netherlands for generously funding this work.
The Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) Australia and New Zealand, including Auckland Zoo,
Australian Museum Research Institute, Dreamworld, Hamilton Zoo, National Zoo and Aquarium,
New Zealand Department of Conservation, Perth Zoo and Taronga Conservation Society Australia
are thanked for supporting TRAFFIC’s crime data analyst and researcher positions in Southeast
Asia.

iii TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The rapid growth and widespread use of social media has allowed these new platforms to facilitate
wildlife trade, both legal and illegal. Market leader Facebook was the first social network site toexceed the one billion marker of user accounts just eight years into its existence. In Malaysia, over
80% of the internet users are reportedly active on Facebook. Given its popularity and scope, it is not
surprising that this site is being used to conduct illicit wildlife trade.
The threat of undetected illegal online wildlife trade is real and very relevant and is further
compounded by the internet’s ability to reach a wide audience within a short time frame. It issuspected that the use of online social networks to conduct wildlife trade is increasingly common.
Although reports on the misuse of the internet for the trade in illegal wildlife exist, there has
been a distinct paucity of research that examines the prevalence of such trade on access-limitedsocial media sites. Where research does exist, it is often unable to quantify the scale of this tradecomprehensively.
With this in mind, TRAFFIC undertook a rapid assessment to monitor wildlife trade occurringon 14 Facebook groups in Peninsular Malaysia, conducted over approximately 50 hours during
a five month period (November 2014 – March 2015). The majority of the groups investigatedwere “Closed”, meaning only members of that group can view activity on its page. At the time ofmonitoring, there were 67 532 active members in these 14 groups, one of which was particularly
substantial, with over 21 000 members.
In total, 236 individual posts of live wild animals being offered for sale were captured anddocumented from the 14 Facebook groups during the assessment period (an average of 30
minutes a day), with an average of 47 posts per month. A minimum of 311 and a maximum of
380 individual animals from 80 different species were observed for sale. The highest proportionsof wildlife recorded were birds (44%), followed by reptiles (34%) and mammals (22%). Close tohalf of the trade recorded is deemed to be illegal, involving 39 species for which trade is prohibitedin Peninsular Malaysia. All animals offered were live, with posts sometimes referring to them as“tame”, indicating a proclivity for the pet trade.

International Protection

Eighty six percent (n=69) of all traded species found during this assessment are governed by theConvention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),
which means international trade in these species is either regulated or prohibited. Ten of the
CITES-listed species, with a minimum of 24 individual animals, are listed in CITES Appendix I
where international commercial sale in wild-caught specimens is prohibited. Notably, 80% of the
non-native species recorded in trade (25 of the 69) are listed on CITES, involving a minimum of
50 animals, meaning any trade in these animals requires a CITES permit. Six of these are listed on
CITES Appendix I including four Critically Endangered species such as the Ploughshare Tortoise
Astrochelys yniphora; it is considered to be the rarest tortoise in the world with only a few hundredadult individuals left in the wild in its native Madagascar.

National Protection

Ninety three percent (n=74) of all traded species found during this assessment have legal protectionin Peninsular Malaysia. Almost half (49%) of all species observed in trade are considered “Totally
Protected” by the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 in Peninsular Malaysia, meaning domestic tradeis prohibited. Over 60% (n= 49) of all species recorded in trade are native to Malaysia. Significantly,
this assessment reveals an unprecedented level of trade in 18 native mammal species, driven
primarily by the demand for pets, collector’s items and breeding stock. This includes the Sun Bear
Helarctos malayanus, Sunda Slow Loris Nycticebus coucang, White-handed Gibbon Hylobates lar andSmooth Otter Lutrogale perspicillata and involved a minimum of 83 and a maximum of 101 animals.
Trade in these animals is strictly prohibited in Peninsular Malaysia.

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

iv

Previously not documented at such a scale, this demand for native wild animals as pets is perhaps
the most worrying finding of this assessment. Historically, opportunistic illegal wildlife trade posedless of a threat in Peninsular Malaysia due to the absence of physical markets. These virtual markets
on social media now appear to facilitate the live animal trade in similar ways as open physicalmarkets do, and are likely to offer a greater variety of species than their traditional counterparts.
There was only one documented instance of a trader offering to ship the animals overseas,
indicating that the majority of the trade was to meet Malaysian demand.

Traders

A total of 106 unique sellers were identified as those posting the 236 advertisements documented
during this assessment. As the majority of the species for sale are Totally Protected from trade by
Malaysian law, most sellers were therefore operating illegally. Additionally, only three posts referred
to animals being accompanied by trade licences. Of the 14 Facebook groups monitored, one keygroup disproportionally accounted for 115 advertisements (close to 50% of the total) with at least 60
unique sellers posting on this page, accounting for a maximum of 88 animals being offered for sale.
Sellers appear to operate with impunity, and any reference to legislation, legality or permits is rare.
Very little effort is made to conceal the illegal nature of some of the trade, and the use of code words
or any forms of text deception to describe the species is non-existent.

Enforcement

Time-critical intelligence reports were provided to enforcement agencies when suspected illegal
trade was detected throughout the course of the assessment. These reports concerned six
advertisements of Totally Protected and CITES Appendix I listed species and were provided withdossiers on traders and their trading activities on other social networking sites (such as Instagram).
In addition, all results described here have been compiled and shared with Peninsular Malaysia’s
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (hereafter known as PERHILITAN) for ongoinginvestigations, and collaboration with TRAFFIC continues.
While the sheer volume of trade on social media is extremely challenging to regulate, the Malaysian
Government has recognised this growing threat and has duly dedicated resources to fight it, led
by the Cybercrime Unit of PERHILITAN. PERHILITAN has joined forces with the MalaysianCommunications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), a regulatory body to track illegal online
trade, including that occurring on social media. In March 2015, PERHILITAN initiated “Operation
Taring” which resulted in the arrest of seven suspects and the confiscation of 64 Totally Protectedanimals, including juvenile Sun Bears and Leopard Cats Prionailurus bengalensis. The Facebook
groups targeted in that operation were amongst those surveyed in this assessment. More recently,
in July 2015, PERHILITAN arrested four individuals for attempting to sell Sumatran Orangutans
Pongo abelii after their advertisements were detected on Facebook.
The potential audience of 70 000 members affiliated to just 14 groups on Facebook illustrates
that trade on social media is capable of reaching a large client base. Equally, it has the capacity to
expand rapidly through its viral nature. Traders are clearly moving to non-conventional methodsof sale such as utilising online portals and social media in order to evade detection, reach a broader
audience, and increase transaction efficiency and convenience. The scale and nature of this tradeundermines governance structures designed to curb illicit activities. This is especially true where avast majority occurs in Closed, protected areas that limit public viewing. With such high numbersof protected native species targeted by collectors for the pet trade, a more co-ordinated approachto tackle this problem is needed. Although the findings in this assessment point to trade within a
specific geographic area, they are reflective of practices that occur on an international platform, andtherefore requires a globally-oriented solution.
In line with this, TRAFFIC has initiated discussions with Facebook Asia-Pacific, which has
expressed a commitment to working with TRAFFIC to help tackle the illegal online trade ofwildlife stemming from findings of this assessment. Facebook reiterates that its Terms of Service
do not permit the sale and trade of endangered animals, and that it would not hesitate to remove
any reported and verified content that violates these terms. Other collaborative opportunities foraddressing these issues are contained within the following recommendations.
v TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Short Term: Improving Detection and Law Enforcement

Consideration should be given to closer collaboration between law enforcement agencies andFacebook to ensure that prolific and repeat offenders are targeted in a co-ordinated and effective
manner. Under their Law Enforcement Guidelines, Facebook’s current practice is to liaise with— and respond to — law enforcement requests concerning illegal activity. To complement this,
TRAFFIC will seek to facilitate collaboration between Facebook and the relevant law enforcement
agencies and regulatory bodies in Malaysia, including wildlife departments, multimedia agencies,
and the police. This is needed to meaningfully tackle this crime type through a more formal
engagement to fully utilise the current procedures outlined by Facebook’s Law Enforcement
Guidelines. Moving forward, TRAFFIC will also endeavour to work closely with Facebook andrelevant agencies in other countries facing similar issues regarding the illegal online trade inwildlife.

Medium Term: Civil Society Engagement

Private sector companies that operate social media sites play a pivotal role in raising awarenessregarding this issue. Equally, members of the public accessing these sites are encouraged to reportillegal activity to the authorities, or other platforms available for such purposes. The current
situation means consistent and wide-scale monitoring of illegal activity on social media sites islargely absent and remains a challenge for law enforcement. However, the public denouncement ofillegal wildlife trade on social media sites could serve to deter potential sellers. Various options toreport violations involving wildlife crime exist, which include:
1. A direct report to law enforcement agencies at a national level;
2. A direct report to Facebook itself: Facebook’s Community Standards is a strong affirmation of
its policy against any illegal activity, including wildlife crime, and provides a procedure for any
direct reports to Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/help/181495968648557?ref=communi
ty_standards;)
3. A report through TRAFFIC, including via the Wildlife Witness App that can be downloaded
for iPhone (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wildlife-witness/id738897823?mt=8) or Android(https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.taronga.wildwitness) Reports can involve posts,
messages, groups and other elements that can be considered a violation of legislation.

Long Term: Co-ordinated Dedicated Forum

While in many cases authorities are able to take action against illegal wildlife activity within theirjurisdiction, more can still be done to effectively and efficiently address this identified problem.
Given the scale of this problem at an international level, TRAFFIC encourages a dedicated forum at
a global and regional level with social networking bodies, governments, intergovernmental bodies
and NGO partners. This forum would serve as a platform for these stakeholders to consider specificissues and solutions concerning regulation of the illegal trade currently being conducted throughsocial media, including how efforts by different parties can be strengthened and synchronized.
Viable options for self-policing by social media networks combined with mechanisms for reporting
illegal trade to enhance enforcement efforts should be considered, including the establishmentof systems to prohibit or suspend social media accounts of repeat offenders. Partnerships
between governments, social media companies, international enforcement agencies like Interpol,
conservation groups and regulatory institutions such as CITES need to formulate new, realistic
solutions to address this uniquely challenging and rapidly evolving method of wildlife trafficking.

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

vi

RINGKASAN EKSEKUTIF
Pertumbuhan mendadak dan meluas penggunaan media sosial telah memudahkan perdaganganhidupan liar, samada secara sah atau sebaliknya. Facebook merupakan laman jaringan sosial
pertama yang memiliki lebih satu billion akaun pengguna, setelah hanya lapan tahun beroperasi.
Di Malaysia, lebih daripada 80% pengguna internet dikatakan aktif menggunakan Facebook. Olehkerana ia popular dan mempunyai skop yang luas, adalah tidak mengejutkan untuk mendapati
bahawa Facebook dijadikan saluran untuk mendagangkan hidupan liar secara haram.
Ancaman pemerdagangan hidupan liar dalam talian, terutamanya yang terlepas dari dikesan,adalah suatu yang nyata dan relevan, dan keupayaan internet untuk mencapai jutaan penggunadalam tempoh masa singkat menyukarkan lagi keadaan. Dijangkakan bahawa penggunaan jaringan
media sosial dalam talian untuk mendagangkan hidupan liar sedang meningkat. Walaupun wujud
laporan mengenai penyalahgunaan internet sebagai pentas perdagangan haram hidupan liar,
ternyata ada kekurangan maklumat mengenai aktiviti tersebut di laman yang mempunyai akses
terhad. Di mana kajian ini wujud, ianya tidak dapat menghitung skala perdagangan ini dengan
menyeluruh.
Oleh kerana itu, TRAFFIC telah menjalankan satu kajian penilaian pantas untuk memantau aktiviti
perdagangan hidupan liar dalam 14 buah kumpulan Facebook di Semenanjung Malaysia. Untuk
tujuan kajian ini, pemantauan dijalankan selama 30 minit setiap hari sepanjang tempoh lima bulan(November 2014-Mac 2015), atau jumlah keseluruhan selama 50 jam. Kebanyakan kumpulan yang
dipantau adalah “Tertutup” (atau Closed) iaitu hanya ahli sahaja yang dapat memerhati aktiviti
kumpulan. Sepanjang tempoh kajian, terdapat seramai 67 532 pengguna yang aktif dalam 14 buah
kumpulan ini, di mana salah satu daripada kumpulan tersebut mempunyai lebih daripada 20 000
ahli.
Secara keseluruhannya, sebanyak 236 pos telah direkod menawarkan penjualan haiwan liar
hidup dengan purata 47 pos setiap bulan. Antara 311 dan 380 ekor haiwan daripada 80 spesis
telah ditawarkan, di mana burung merupakan kelas haiwan yang mempunyai tawaran penjualan
tertinggi (44%), diikuti reptilia (34%) dan mamalia (22%). Hampir separuh daripada jumlah
tawaran penjualan adalah salah di sisi-sisi undang-undang, melibatkan 39 spesis yang tidak
boleh didagangkan di Semenanjung Malaysia. Kesemua haiwan yang ditawarkan masih hidup
dan kadangkala dikatakan sebagai “jinak”, di mana ini menunjukkan kecenderungannya untuk
didagangkan sebagai haiwan peliharaan.

Perlindungan antarabangsa

Lapan puluh enam peratus (n=69) daripada semua spesis yang didagangkan sepanjang tempoh
kajian adalah dilindungi di bawah Konvensyen Perdagangan Antarabangsa Spesis Terancam Floradan Fauna (atau lebih dikenali sebagai CITES). Daripada kesemua spesis in, 25 daripadanya
adalah spesis bukan asal Malaysia, dimana aktiviti perdagangan bagi spesis tersebut adalah dikawal
atau dihalang sama sekali. Sepuluh daripada kesemua spesis yang diperdagangkan, iaitu dengan
minimum 24 ekor haiwan, tersenarai di bawah CITES Apendiks I yang melarang sama sekali
penjualan komersil spesimen liar yang ditangkap dari habitat semulajadi di peringkat antarabangsa.
Daripada angka tersebut, empat spesis mempunyai status Terancam Kritikal (atau CriticallyEndangered), termasuklah Ploughshare Tortoise Astrochelys yniphora, yang dianggap sebagai
kura-kura yang paling jarang ditemui di dunia, di mana terdapat hanya beberapa ratus ekor
individu dewasa di habitat semulajadinya di Madagascar.

Perlindungan Kebangsaan

Sembilan puluh tiga peratus (n=74) daripada semua spesis yang didagangkan sepanjang tempoh
kajian adalah dilindungi oleh perundangan di Semenanjung Malaysia. Hampir separuh (49%)
daripada semua spesis yang didagangkan memiliki status “Dilindungi Sepenuhnya” di bawah Akta
Pemuliharaan Hidupan Liar 2010 yang melarang sebarang perdagangan domestik. Lebih daripada
60% (n=49) daripada semua spesis yang didagangkan adalah spesis asal Malaysia (atau nativevii TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

species). Kajian ini turut menunjukkan tahap perdagangan luar biasa melibatkan 18 spesis mamalia
asal Malaysia, didorong oleh permintaan sebagai haiwan peliharaan, koleksi oleh pengumpul atau
stok pembiakan. Antara spesis tersebut termasuklah Beruang Matahari Helarctos malayanus,
Kongkang Nycticebus coucang, Ungka Tangan Putih Hylobates lar dan Memerang Licin Lutrogale
perspicillata serta melibatkan antara 83 hingga 101 ekor haiwan. Perdagangan haiwan tersebut
adalah dilarang sama sekali di Semenanjung Malaysia.
Permintaan tinggi terhadap haiwan liar asal Malaysia untuk dipelihara, terutamanya spesis yang
Dilindingi Sepenuhnya di sisi undang-undang, mungkin adalah penemuan kajian yang palingmembimbangkan kerana ia belum pernah direkodkan dalam skala ini. Semenanjung Malaysia
tidak pernah ada pasar hidupan liar, di mana perdagangan haram mungkin dapat berlaku. Pasar
maya di media sosial kini memudahkan perdagangan haiwan hidup sama seperti pasar sebenar,malah mungkin mampu menawarkan penjualan lebih banyak spesis. Sepanjang tempoh kajian,hanya terdapat satu contoh di mana peniaga menawarkan penghantaran haiwan ke luar negara, danini menunjukkan bahawa kebanyakan perdagangan adalah untuk memenuhi permintaan pasaran
tempatan.

Pedagang / Peniaga

Terdapat seramai 106 penjual telah memuat naik pos yang mengiklankan penjualan haiwan liar
sepanjang tempoh kajian. Kebanyakan spesis tersebut adalah Dilindungi Sepenuhnya daripada
perdagangan oleh undang-undang Malaysia, maka penjual telah menjalankan urusniaga
secara haram. Hanya terdapat tiga pos sahaja yang menyatakan penjualan haiwan mempunyai
permit dagangan. Daripada 14 buah kumpulan Facebook yang dipantau, satu kumpulan telah
menyumbang 115 iklan (hampir 50% daripada jumlah keseluruhan) dengan sekurang-kurangnya
60 penjual memuat naik pos yang menawarkan penjualan sehingga 88 ekor haiwan (anggaran
maksima). Pedagang dilihat beroperasi secara bebas, dan tanpa rujukan kepada mana-mana
perundangan, pengesahan atau permit adalah jarang. Terlalu sedikit usaha diletakkan untuk
menyembunyikan perdagangan haram ini, dan penggunaan kod rahsia atau seumpamanya untuk
menerangkan spesis tidak wujud sama sekali.

Penguatkuasaan

Maklumat risikan telah diserahkan kepada agensi penguatkuasa apabila terdapat mana-mana
perdagangan yang disyaki dijalankan secara haram. Kesemua laporan tersebut melibatkan enam
iklan yang menawarkan pelbagai spesis yang Dilindungi Sepenuhnya, dan tersenarai di bawah
CITES Apendiks I. Laporan tersebut juga disertakan dengan maklumat penjual dan aktiviti
perdagangan mereka di laman jaringan sosial lain (seperti Instagram). Selain itu, kesemua
hasil kajian yang dinyatakan di sini telah dikongsi dengan Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liardan Taman Negara Semenanjung Malaysia (PERHILITAN) untuk siasatan. Kerjasama antara
PERHILITAN dan TRAFFIC masih berterusan.
Walaupun jumlah sebenar perdagangan di media sosial amat mencabar untuk dibanteras, Kerajaan
Malaysia telah mengakui akan ancaman ini dan menyalurkan sumber untuk membanterasnya,
diketuai oleh Unit Jenayah Siber PERHILITAN. PERHILITAN telah bergabung usaha dengan
Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (SKMM) untuk menjejak perdagangan haram
dalam talian, termasuklah di laman jaringan media sosial. Pada Mac 2015, PERHILITAN telahmenjalankan ‘Operasi Taring’ yang membawa kepada penahanan tujuh orang suspek dan rampasan
64 ekor haiwan berstatus Dilindungi Sepenuhnya, seperti Beruang Matahari dan Kucing Batu
Prionailurus bengalensis. Kumpulan Facebook yang telah disasarkan dalam operasi itu adalah
antara yang dipantau dalam kajian ini. Pada Julai 2015, PERHILITAN juga telah menahan empat
individu yang cuba menjual Orangutan Sumatera Pongo abelii setelah iklan hebahan penjualan
dikesan dalam Facebook.
Dengan adanya hampir 70,000 ahli dalam hanya 14 buah kumpulan di Facebook menggambarkan
bahawa perdagangan di media sosial mampu mencapai bilangan pelanggan yang ramai, disamping
mempunyai kapasiti untuk berkembang dengan pantas berdasarkan sifatnya yang viral. Pedagang
hidupan liar kini jelas lebih cenderung menggunakan kaedah penjualan yang tidak konvensionalseperti menggunakan portal laman web dan media sosial untuk mengelak dari dihidu pihak
TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

viiiberkuasa, mendapatkan bilangan pelanggan yang ramai serta memudahkan transaksi danmenjadikannya lebih efisyen. Skala dan sifat perdagangan ini menyukarkan penguatkuasaan
untuk membanteras kegiatan yang menyalahi undang-undang. Ini tepat kerana kebanyakan
daripada aktiviti yang berlaku dalam kumpulan Tertutup adalah terlindung dari pemerhatianmasyarakat umum. Memandangkan banyak spesis asal Malaysia yang dilindungi menjadi sasaran
oleh pengumpul bagi perdagangan haiwan peliharaan, satu pendekatan yang lebih selaras untuk
menangai masalah ini diperlukan. Walaupun hasil kajian ini hanya khusus kepada perdagangan disatu kawasan (Semenanjung Malaysia), hasil kajian mencerminkan kegiatan yang sedang berlaku diperingkat antarabangsa, dan maka dengan itu memerlukan penyelesaian yang bersifat global.
Maka dengan itu, TRAFFIC telah memulakan perbincangan dengan Facebook Asia Pasifik yangtelah menyatakan komitmen untuk bekerjasama dengan TRAFFIC untuk membantu menangani
perdagangan haram hidupan liar dalam talian, hasil daripada kajian ini. Facebook juga menyatakan
bahawa Syarat Perkhidmatan (atau Terms of Service) mereka tidak membenarkan penjualan dan
perdagangan hidupan liar terancam, dan Facebook tidak teragak-agak untuk menarik keluar isi
kandungan yang menyalahi terma tersebut (sekiranya ia dilaporkan dan disahkan). Lain-lainpeluang kerjasama untuk menangani isu ini adalah seperti yang dinyatakan dalam cadanganseterusnya:

Jangka Pendek: Memperbaiki Pengesanan

Pertimbangan perlu ada untuk kerjasama lebih baik antara agensi penguatkuasa undang-undang
dan Facebook dalam memastikan pesalah yang profilik dan berulang dapat disasarkan secaraselaras dan berkesan. Selaras dengan “Panduan Penguatkuasaan Undang-undang” yang ditubuhkan
oleh Facebook, ia akan berhubung dengan pihak berkuasa dan memberikan maklumbalas
kepada permintaan agensi kerajaan berkenaan kegiatan yang menyalahi undang-undang. Untuk
melengkapkan usaha ini, TRAFFIC akan berusaha untuk memudahkan kerjasama antara Facebook
dan agensi penguatkuasa undang-undang berkaitan dan badan-badan perundangan di Malaysia,
termasuklah jabatan hidupan liar, agensi multimedia, dan polis. Urusan kerjasama yang lebihformal sebegini adalah amat penting agar prosedur Facebook yang sediada selaras dengan “Panduan
Penguatkuasaan Undang-Undang” digunakan dengan sebaiknya untuk mengatasi jenayah seperti
ini. TRAFFIC juga akan bekerja rapat dengan Facebook dan agensi di lain-lain negara yangberhadapan dengan isu perdagangan haram hidupan liar dalam talian.

Jangka Pertengahan: Penglibatan masyarakat

Syarikat sektor swasta yang menggunakan laman media sosial memainkan peranan penting dalammeningkatkan kesedaran masyarakat terhadap isu ini. Selaras dengan itu, syarikat swasta perlu
mengecam kegiatan perdagangan haram hidupan liar di laman media sosial agar kegiatan seperti
ini dapat dicegah. Selain itu, masyarakat umum yang memasuki laman-laman media ini adalah
digalakkan untuk melaporkan kegiatan haram kepada pihak berkuasa, atau mana-mana platform
lain. Ketika ini, pemantauan berterusan dan menyeluruh terhadap kegiatan haram di laman media
sosial adalah hampir tiada dan masih menjadi satu cabaran kepada penguatkuasa undang-undang
di seluruh dunia. Terdapat pelbagai pilihan untuk melaporkan kesalahan yang melibatkan jenayah
hidupan liar, seperti:
i. Melaporkan secara terus kepada agensi penguatkuasa undang-undang di peringkat kebangsaan;ii. Melaporkan kepada Facebook: Standad Komuniti Facebook (atau Facebook’s Community
Standards) adalah satu pengakuan tegas mengenai dasarnya terhadap kegiatan-kegiatan haram,
termasuklah jenayah hidupan liar dan menyediakan langkah-langkah penyaluran laporan kepada
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/help/181495968648557?ref=community_standards;)iii. Melaporkan kepada TRAFFIC, termasuklah melalui “Wildlife Witness App” yang boleh dimuat
turun untuk Iphone di (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wildlife-witness/id738897823?mt=8)
atau Android di (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.taronga.wildwitness.)
Laporan boleh melibatkan pos, pesanan (atau message), kumpulan dan elemen lain yang disyaki
menyalahi undang-undang.
ix TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

Jangka Panjang: Forum khas yang mempunyai penyelarasan

Walaupun dalam kebanyakan kes, pihak berkuasa mampu bertindak terhadap kegiatan haram
hidupan liar dalam bidang kuasa mereka, terdapat lebih banyak tindakan yang boleh dilakukan
untuk menangani masalah ini dengan lebih berkesan dan efisien. Dengan skala masalah ini diperingkat antarabangsa, TRAFFIC menggalakkan penubuhan sebuah forum khas di peringkat
global dan rantau antara badan-badan jaringan sosial, kerajaan, badan-badan antara kerajaan
dan badan bukan kerajaan. Forum ini akan menjadi pentas komunikasi untuk semua pihakberkaitan untuk mempertimbangkan isu-isu khusus dan mencari penyelesaian berkenaan kawalan
perdagangan haram hidupan liar yang sedang dilaksanakan melalui media sosial, termasuklahbagaimana usaha oleh pelbagai pihak boleh diperkuatkan dan diselaraskan.
Pilihan terbaik bagi pelaksanaan dasar sendiri (atau self-policing) oleh jaringan media social,
ditambah dengan mekanisma untuk melaporkan perdagangan haram untuk meningkatkan usaha
penguatkuasaan perlu dipertimbangkan, termasuklah mewujudkan satu sistem untuk menghalang
atau menggantung akaun media sosial terhadap pesalah berulang. Kerjasama antara kerajaan,syarikat media sosial, agensi penguatkuasa antarabangsa seperti Interpol, kumpulan pemuliharaan
dan institusi pengawalan seperti CITES perlu mencari penyelesaian baru dan realistik untuk
menangani kaedah penyeludupan hidupan liar yang mencabar dan pantas berkembang ini.

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

xINTRODUCTION
Malaysia is one of the world’s mega diverse countries, ranked 12th in the world, based on the
country’s richness and endemism (Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2001).
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened
Species,TM 686 plants and 225 animals in Malaysia are at risk of extinction, with at least 256 of themassessed as Critically Endangered. This places Malaysia third in the list of countries with the largest
number of threatened species, behind Ecuador and the United States (IUCN, 2012). Malaysia
accounted for six percent of illegal wildlife trade seizures recorded across 101 countries from July
1996 to October 2008, with over two-thirds of the species involved being listed in CITES Appendix
I or II. During this period, no less than 191,934 live animals were seized (UNDP-GEF, 2014),
comprising both native and non-native species.
Fourteen years ago, Renctas (Portuguese acronym meaning National Network Against the
Trafficking of Wild Animals) of Brazil published a report outlining law enforcement challenges
from online wildlife crime, including the need to monitor these activities on social network sites(Carrasco et al. 2014). In recent years, much of the trade in wildlife has increasingly been moving
online, and this appears to be on the rise. The displacement of open wildlife trade from the physicalmarkets to the internet follows similar patterns to many other forms of both legal and illegal trade(Williams, 2001). The growth of social media platforms has created greater access to goods andservices, which allows the space and opportunity for cybercrime to expand, across all crime types,
and allows for a great deal of anonymity. Singapore reportedly recorded an increase of 400% incybercrime in 2013, due to the ease and accessibility the internet offers (Muzliza, 2014). As manyas 30 Malaysians reportedly fall victim to cybercrime daily, with fraud and intrusion being the mostcommon cases (Cheng, 2015). A 2013 United Kingdom Home Office Select Committee Reporthighlights that access to the internet and the technology, with all its opportunities and benefits, has
the ability to put businesses and families at increasing risk of exploitation and internet-based crime(UK Parliamentary, 2013). Cybercrime extends to wildlife trade, and is a rising threat to many
species’ survival.
Given the accessibility of the internet, changes and trends can occur very rapidly; the internet
provides a network that can adapt and facilitate these changes in a unique manner. To date, little
research has been undertaken to examine the prevalence of wildlife trade occurring in Closed
groups on social media and password-protected online forums. Previous research has largely
focussed on wildlife trade occurring on openly accessible platforms such as commercial tradeportals and online auction sites (IFAW 2008, 2014), which lend themselves to public monitoring.
The threats posed by closed methods of trade are not fully understood and the extent to which thesemethods are used remains largely unknown. Stronger enforcement efforts and greater awareness ofillegal wildlife trade have contributed to some aspects of this criminality moving underground, due
to the increased risk of detection in traditional open markets and retail outlets.
Earlier research has hinted at the presence of online wildlife crime. In 2009, preliminary studies
on internet-based trade in Malagasy wildlife, recorded 94 tortoises being offered for sale across 10
countries, comprising all four of Madagascar’s Critically Endangered and CITES Appendix I listed
species (Walker, 2011). In early 2014, another research study over a six week period found over
33,000 endangered wildlife, its parts and products from species listed in CITES Appendix I and II
available for sale online in 9,482 advertisements in 16 countries; 54% of the advertisements were forlive animals (IFAW, 2014). The study also focused on China and found that social media was themost commonly used method of contact between buyers and sellers (64% / 1,355), primarily via“QQ” or “WeChat”.

1 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

In response to the emerging issue of online wildlife crime, some popular online platforms havetaken proactive preventive steps:• In 2009, eBay banned the sale of all ivory items on its worldwide platform.
• In June 2012, in collaboration with TRAFFIC, 15 of the leading e-commerce sellers operating in
China, including Alibaba, Taobao and Tencent signed a declaration stating their zero-tolerance
policy towards their services being used to conduct illegal trading. The statement further
compels traders to comply with all aspects of China’s CITES-implementing legislation. Online
site Etsy followed suit and banned all wildlife products from its site in 2014 (https://www.etsy.
com/legal/ prohibited/). Most of these efforts have so far been confined to commercial tradeportals.
• In November 2015, Tencent and TRAFFIC signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) on tackling illegal wildlife trade carried out through WeChat and Tencent’s otherplatforms. This MoU includes collaboration on public education with the aim of dissuading
WeChat and Tencent users from engaging in illegal wildlife trade.

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

2

POPULARITY OF SOCIAL NETWORKING AND ITS USE
FOR WILDLIFE TRADE
As of November 2015, over 7.5 billion social media users were recorded globally on at least 18 majorsocial networking sites (based on the number of active accounts), the highest of which is Facebook
with over one billion registered accounts (http://www.statista.com/topics/1164/social-networks/)
Figure 1). Facebook itself reports that it has recorded 1.04 billion daily active users on average for
December 2015, 84% of whom are users outside the United States and Canada (www.newsroom.
fb.com).
Figure 1: Leading Social Networks Worldwide as of November 2015

Source: © Statista 2016

The most popular social media sites in Malaysia are reported to be Facebook, Google, YouTube andYahoo, with Facebook being the most heavily used (Baskaran, 2014). A 2013 Industry Performance
Report by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) found that of the19.2 million internet users in Malaysia, 15.6 million (81%) are active on Facebook, placing Malaysia
8th in Asia and 21st in the world (MCMC, 2014; Norni 2013). The report also found that in 2014,
more than 8.7 million Malaysian users were known to access Facebook via their mobile phones
on a daily basis. Malaysians spend an average of five hours online daily, and three out of these five
hours are spent on social media (Muzliza, 2014). Mobile phones facilitate the ease and speed withwhich wildlife trade can take place and photos of the offered species can be taken on a phone anduploaded instantly to Facebook. Figure 2 provides a summary of Facebook users both globally andin Malaysia.
3 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

Figure 2: Summary of Facebook Users Globally and in Malaysia
GLOBAL USERS

ACTIVITY ON
FACEBOOK

80

50%

community pages, groups andevents connected by anaverage userof active users log on to
Facebook on any given day
Average user has

130

30 billion

700 billion

19.2m
Internet users
in Malaysia

1.44m

mobile monthly active users (Dec 2015)

90

pieces of content (web links,
news stories, blog posts, notes,
photo albums, etc.) shared eachmonth.

FACEBOOK USERS
IN MALAYSIA

934m
mobile daily active users on avg(Dec 2015)

People that use
Facebook on
their mobile
devices aretwice asactive on
Facebook
as non-mobile
users.

pieces of content is created byan average user each monthfriends

minutes spent on Facebook per month

MOBILE

15.6m

8.7m

of them (81%)
are active on
Facebook

Malaysian users were known toaccess Facebook via theirmobile phones on a daily basis

Facebook’s Community Standards provides a clear policy concerning the content of posts
and instructs users to report any misuse directly to Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/
communitystandards). Under its “Helping to Keep you Safe” category, criminal activity is a key
thrust, where the use of Facebook to facilitate or organize criminal activity is prohibited. Towards
this end, Facebook works with law enforcement agencies to address these concerns where the risks
are genuine.
One of the more popular platforms are “Facebook groups”, a dedicated space that allows likeminded people to come together for a common and often specific interest. A Facebook group
allows three privacy options for users; Public, Closed and Secret. Table 1 provides some of thediffering privacy settings for Facebook groups.
Table 1: Privacy Settings for Facebook Groups

Type of Group

PublicClosedSecretWho can join?

Anyone can join or be
added or invited by amemberAnyone can join or be
added or invited by amemberAnyone, but they have tobe added or invited by amemberWho can see whatmembers post in thegroup?

AnyoneOnly current members

Only current members

Who can find the groupin search?

AnyoneAnyoneCurrent and former
members

Source: https://www.facebook.com/help/220336891328465

One possible reason why social media platforms such as Facebook are preferred over commercial
trade platforms such as eBay or other forms of classified advertisements, may be because it canbe conducted free of charge. In addition, platforms such as Facebook groups provide a layer ofcontrol and accessibility that can be limited by those managing the group. Social network sites
such as Facebook and specialist forums allow wildlife trade to occur, both through legal andillegal means, either directly by enabling trade exchanges or indirectly where discussions aroundthe species in trade have been taking place (Stoner and Nijman, 2014). Most credible businesses
and organizations now have Facebook pages that have grown to become the chosen platform for
conducting various businesses, including trade.
TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

4Research carried out over one month in March 2014 in China by TRAFFIC, examining the use ofsocial media to sell wildlife products, found thousands of worked ivory products, including over
115 elephant tusks, over 276 ivory segments, at least 77 whole rhino horns or pieces and at least 46
Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil casques for sale (Yu and Jia, 2015). In February 2015, a wildlife
trader who was suspected to be part of a smuggling ring was arrested in Medan, Indonesia during atransaction involving a juvenile Sumatran Orangutan. The trader was alleged to have been runninghis operations through Facebook and BlackBerry Messenger, involving a range of other species
including Asiatic Golden Cats Catopuma temnickii, hedgehogs, slow lorises, gibbons, hornbills
and crocodiles (Wildlife Conservation Society, 2015). In July 2015, a trader from the United States
confirmed that he was willing to ship Totally Protected Bornean endemic Earless Monitor Lizards
Lanthanotus boreneensis to Canada, yet to date no permit has been issued by any authority in
Borneo for the collection or trade of this species (Stoner and Nijman, 2015).
In Malaysia, online surveys carried out by TRAFFIC between November 2014 and February 2015
found at least 63 advertisements on Facebook for Totally Protected Indian Star Tortoises Geochelone
elegans (Chng and Bouhuys, 2015). Enquiries undertaken by a leading Malaysian newspaper, The
Star, in July 2015, showed that wildlife such as slow lorises, Indian Star Tortoises and Ball Pythons
Python regius are openly posted for sale on Facebook and on other commercial platforms suchas www.adpost.com.my and www.mudah.my, both of which are Malaysian-based (Sukumaran,
2015). These transactions were said to be carried out via email or WhatsApp (a mobile messaging
application which is a subsidiary of Facebook), while the animals could either be delivered inperson, or via the post.
Another study on the trade in freshwater turtles and tortoises in Malaysia found that a majority ofthe trade conducted online shifted from commercial web portals to social media at the beginningof 2012 (Bouhuys and Van Scherpenzeel, 2015). All online advertisements documented within
the period of 2005-2008 were found on classified advertisement websites, after which theseadvertisements spread out to forums, and pet shelter groups. In 2011 and 2012, however, social
media emerged, accounting for approximately 10% to 18% of the online trade, though thesenumbers shot up to almost 70% in 2013, and continued to increase (Figure 3).
Figure 3: The Distribution of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises Advertised Online in Percentage, by Year andType of Platform

source: Bouhuys and Van Scherpenzeel, 2015

5 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

LEGISLATION IN MALAYSIA
Wildlife Conservation Act 2010

The primary legislation protecting wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia is the Wildlife Conservation Act
2010 (WCA). The WCA is a strong legislative tool that covers a wide range of issues and provisions
including hunting, animal welfare, trade and possession of animals and/or products that (areclaimed to) contain derivatives of wild animals. Over 2000 species are afforded protection, witheach of them divided into one of seven different categories known as “Schedules”. These Schedules
essentially govern how wildlife is protected and used. Species with the highest level of protection
are considered “Totally Protected”; these species cannot be hunted, traded or used, unless a special
permit is granted by the Director-General of PERHILITAN. Any violation of this clause carries amaximum fine of MYR500 000 (USD134 800) and a jail term of up to five years. Additional clauses
for a crime relating to a female or juvenile animal are also provided, which carry a heavy penalty ofa minimum fine of MYR150 000 (USD40 440) or a maximum fine of MYR500 000 (USD134 800),or prison term of up to ten years, or both.
The second level of protection is generally used to regulate species that are allowed to be hunted andtraded. These are considered “Protected” species. Protected species can only be harvested or tradedwith a valid licence from PERHILITAN. Any violation of clauses concerning Protected species,
including immature or juvenile Protected specimens, carries a maximum fine of
MYR100 000 (USD26 960) or five years imprisonment, or both. The law also carries provisions
for persons involved in hunting and those who keep over 20 birds of selected Protected species.
Violation carries a minimum fine of MYR20 000 (USD5 390) and maximum fine of MYR50 000(USD13 480) or a jail term not exceeding three years, or both.

International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008

Malaysia has been a Signatory to CITES1 since 1978 and is classed as Category 1 (generally meeting
CITES requirements) in the CITES National Legislation Project (CITES Resolution Conf. 8.4(Rev.CoP15)), which assesses Parties on their readiness to take appropriate measures to enforce
provisions of the Convention and to consider appropriate compliance measures. Towards this end,
the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008 (INTESA) was created. This legislation isperhaps the strongest in the Southeast Asian region. It governs the import and export of wildlife,
with penalties for those violating the legislation reaching a maximum aggregate of MYR2 million(USD539 220), or a prison term of maximum seven years. Species in the Act are categorizedaccording to three “Schedules”, which are consistent with their listing in CITES Appendix I, II and
III.

Communications and Multimedia Act 1998

The regulation of communications and multimedia platforms, including social media, isgoverned by the MCMC. Its powers are vested in the Communications and Multimedia Act
1998. Although the Commission is charged largely with overseeing the regulatory framework fortelecommunications and broadcasting industries, its remit also extends to online activities andmobile services. At any point, the Commission may investigate any reported complaints if it has
grounds to believe that a civil or criminal offence is being or will be committed under this Act or its
subsidiary legislation. This effectively means that the Commission has the power to investigate any
wildlife trade violations occurring on online platforms, including on social media.
1
CITES is an international treaty that governs wildlife trade to protect species from over-exploitation and importantly, to prevent species from becoming endangered or extinct because
of international trade. Species are listed in one of three appendices:
Appendix I comprises species threatened with extinction and provides the greatest level of protection. International trade for primarily commercial purposes is essentially prohibited.
Appendix II is composed of species that, although currently not threatened with extinction, may become so without trade controls.
Appendix III are species listed at the request of a particular country that intends to place stricter regulation to prevent unsustainable or illegal exploitation; international trade is only
permitted through appropriate permits.

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

6Convictions under this Act carries a fine of up to MYR500 000 (USD134 800) or five years
imprisonment, or both.
To gain some insight into the level of illegal wildlife trade occurring on social networking sites, thisassessment was undertaken to specifically monitor pre-determined Facebook groups. A numberof these groups were Closed and therefore only accessible by accepted members of that group.
Essentially any posts appearing on Closed groups’ feeds cannot be viewed by the general public,
only members can view activity on that page and have to be or added by an existing member of thatgroup. This rapid assessment allowed TRAFFIC a rare opportunity to investigate the level of tradeoccurring within such groups and the dynamics of this method of trade.

Photo 1: The White-crested Laughing thrush Garrulax leucolophus, threatened by thetrade for songbirds, was among the many birds offered for sale.

7 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

METHODOLOGY
From November 2014 to March 2015, the activity of 14 groups on Facebook, consisting of bothPublic and Closed groups (Table 1) were monitored. TRAFFIC was able to tap into resources
through parties who already had access to these groups. These groups were selected as they
were previously identified as hosting posts where wildlife was being offered for sale. During theassessment period, all posts where wildlife was being offered for sale (irrespective of their protectionlevel or status) were documented.
To render the number of individuals offered for sale reliable, a count for the minimum andmaximum number was compiled. For example, one seller trading in one species posted an offer forsale on three separate occasions (text below, verbatim):•••“4 months up, feeds on boiled chicken, healthy and a bit aggressive, 2 male and 2 female, RM650
per cat (posted on 03.12.2014)“RM980, more than 3 weeks old, still feeding on milk, whatsapp for dealing” (posted on
08.12.2014)“Interested? 3 years old, feeds on boiled chicken, healthy and active” (posted on 17.02.2015)

The above is therefore calculated as three advertisements, one seller and a minimum of five anda maximum of six individual animals. To avoid inflation of the number of individuals observed
for sale during the period reviewed, care is taken to describe minimum counts in the analysis anddiscussion, unless stated otherwise.
Each offer of sale posted by each seller was reviewed and the number of individuals were tallied
based on the images provided and / or the text contained in the post. An attempt to verify
individuals was made where species were offered for sale more than once, to reduce the risk of
double counting individuals offered for sale by the same seller (as described above). Each species
found in trade was counted: 1) to establish how often they featured in separate adverts, and 2) the
number of times they were offered by individual sellers. An accumulative total of the estimatedminimum and maximum individuals these posts represented was also calculated (Table 2).
Table 2: Methodology Used to Identify Minimum Number of Individuals in Trade

ScientificnameCommonName

No ofAdvertisements

No of uniquesellers

Prionailurus
bengalensis

Leopard
Cat

24

16

Minimum
number ofindividual
animals

Maximum
number ofindividual
animals

27

42

All findings from this assessment were shared with PERHILITAN following completion of theassessment. Time-critical information deemed relevant for law enforcement was reported to theauthorities for further investigation and /or action. A conversion rate of 1 MYR = 0.2996 USD (ason 31 March 2015 (http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/) was used to carry out currency
conversions in this report.

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

8

ASSESSMENT RESULTS
In total, 236 individual posts were documented in which wildlife was being offered for sale,averaging 47 posts per month. Most posts offered only one species for sale (n=232 / 97%); a lesser
number of posts advertised more than one species for sale (n=7 / 3%). A full inventory of species
found for sale is provided in Annex 1.
In total, of those 236 posts, a minimum of 311 and a maximum of 380 individual animals wereobserved for sale. This involved a total of 80 species, including birds (n=35), followed by reptiles(n=27) and mammals (n=18) (Figure 4). All animals offered for sale were live, signifying that sales
on Facebook was exclusively to service the pet trade.
Figure 4: Breakdown of Wildlife Traded by Class

34%
ReptileBREAKDOWN
OF WILDLIFE IN
TRADE BY CLASS

44%
Bird

22%
MammalSpecies Found In Trade – Global Protection

Almost all species found in trade are CITES listed, with a majority of the species offered for sale
being CITES Appendix II listed (Table 3). Ten CITES Appendix I listed species were observed for
sale, with close to 80% (4) of these assessed as either Critically Endangered or Endangered on the
IUCN Red List2. The Sunda Slow Loris Nycticebus coucang was the most common CITES Appendix
I listed species offered for sale (Figure 5). Reference to licences was rare; of the 236 posts, only three
advertisements involving CITES Appendix II listed species mentioned that the animals wereaccompanied by licences, while none of the posts described or alluded to the necessary permits.
However, three advertisements did state that they had licences, although the type was not specified.3
Table 3: CITES Status of Species Offered for Sale

Number of Species% of total

Appendix I

CITES Appendix Listings

10

13

Appendix I/II

2

3

Appendix II

52

65

Appendix III

5

6

Non CITES

11

14

Total

80

100

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating
the conservation status of plant and animal species.
3
Licences refer to; Hill Myna Gracula religiosa (App. II), African Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus (App II), Ducorps’s Cockatoo Cacatua
ducorpsii (App. II)
2

9 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

Figure 5: CITES Appendix I Species Offered for Sale on 14 Facebook Groups in Peninsular Malaysia from November
2014-March 2015
© KAINekaris© Tommy Fabianus/
Dreamstime.com

VU© Dreamstime.com

LC

VU

Sunda Slow Loris

Palm Cockatoo

Sun Bear

Nycticebus coucang

Probosciger aterrimus

Helarctos malayanus

Min no of individual animals offered for sale: 9Native to Malaysia: Yes

Min no of individual animals offered for sale: 3
Native to Malaysia: No

Min no of individual animals offered for sale: 2
Native to Malaysia: Yes© James Eaton© Jim Sanderson© TRAFFIC

CR

EN
Flat-headed Cat
Prionailurus planiceps
Min no of individual animals offered for sale: 2
Native to Malaysia: Yes© Chris R. Shepherd/TRAFFICCR
Radiated Tortoise

CITES
APPENDIX I
SPECIES
Global Conservation Status (IUCN):
CR – Critically Endangered;
EN – Endangered;
VU – Vulnerable;
LC – Least Concern

Yellow-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua sulphurea
Min no of individual animals offered for sale: 2
Native to Malaysia: No© Bidouze Stéphane/
Dreamstime.com

EN
White-handed Gibbon

Astrochelys radiata

Hylobates lar

Min no of individual animals offered for sale: 2
Native to Malaysia: No

Min no of individual animals offered for sale: 1
Native to Malaysia: Yes© Kanitha Krishnasamy/
TRAFFIC© Kalyar Platt© Peter Paul van Dijk

CR

CR

EN

Ploughshare Tortoise

Burmese Star Tortoise

Big-headed Turtle

Astrochelys yniphora

Geochelone platynota

Platysternon megacephalum

Min no of individual animals offered for sale: 1
Native to Malaysia: No

Min no of individual animals offered for sale: 1
Native to Malaysia: No

Min no of individual animals offered for sale: 1
Native to Malaysia: No

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

10Species Found In Trade – National Protection

The majority (n=74 / 93%) of species that were advertised for sale have legal protection in
Peninsular Malaysia. More than half of these (n=39), comprising both native and non-native
species are considered Totally Protected under Malaysian law through the WCA, which meansthat any trade in these animals is prohibited (Figure 6). These were offered for sale in at least 160
Facebook posts, involving a minimum of 185 animals, 60% of which comprised birds and mammals(Figure 7). Another 35 species (amounting to a minimum of 119 animals) are afforded Protected
status by the WCA, where legal trade is permitted through the acquisition of valid licences. A
further six species are not listed under the WCA (consisting of a minimum of eight animals).
Figure 6: Proportion of Species Offered for Sale and Their Protection Status Under the Wildlife Conservation
Act 2010

Figure 7: Breakdown of Protection Level by Species Groups According to the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010

11 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

A summary of the six most frequently featured species, comprising five birds and one mammal
species, is described in Figure 8. This includes one CITES Appendix I listed species and five species
that are Totally Protected in Peninsular Malaysia. Collectively, these six species were offered by atleast 38 unique sellers (36% of total), featured in one third (79) of all the posts, and account for 43%(134) of the total number of individual animals found for sale.

Photo 2: Heavily traded native species included the Sunda Slow Loris,
seen in the post above.

Photo 3: Non-native species like this Pig-nosed Turtle were also offered for sale.

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

12Profile of Common Species Observed in Trade

The six most commonly offered species are examined more closely, along with an example of theposts they featured in, Figure 8.
Figure 8: Profiles of the Six Most Commonly Featured Species Offered for Sale

PROFILE OF MOST COMMON SPECIESOFFERED FOR SALE

01
Leopard Cat

Prionailurus bengalensis
Native to Malaysia
CITES Appendix: II
WCA Status: Totally Protected
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Average Price: USD205

Distribution & Population
The Leopard Cat is widespread across its range in Asia.
The species is currently assessed as being of Least
Concern by IUCN.
Historic and Present Status in Trade
Historically Leopards Cats have been common in trade.
Skins were commercially traded internationally for the furtrade, primarily as coats but also for decorative purposes.
Bones have been sought for their use in some traditional
Asian medicines in the past (Nowell and Jackson 1996),
however, it is clear the sole purpose for trade describedhere is as domestic pets.
Survey Findings
Leopard Cats were the most common species sought for
trade, and fetched the highest average price amongst
most-sought after wildlife. This study found between 27- 42 individual animals being advertised for sale on
Facebook, involving 15 unique sellers featured in 24

Tame..
Two male, eyes aren't open yet...
One female has opened her eyes...
MYR 800 each ﬁxed price...
Anyone interested please pm me ﬁrst..

Distribution & Population
The Black-shouldered Kite has an extremely large range andits population appears to be stable. The species is currently
assessed as being of Least Concern by IUCN.
Historic and Present Status in Trade
Surveys conducted in Medan, Indonesia on a monthly basis
between 1997 and 2001 cited Black-winged Kites were themost commonly observed raptor in trade (Shepherd 2012).
Survey Findings
A range of 32 - 54 individual animals were being advertisedfor sale on Facebook, involving nine unique sellers featured
in 17 posts.

03

Crested Serpenteagle

Spilornis cheela

Native to Malaysia
CITES Appendix: II
WCA Status: Totally Protected
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Average Price: USD147

02

Black-shouldered
Kite

Elanus caeruleus

Native to Malaysia
CITES Appendix: II
WCA Status: Totally
Protected
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Average Price: USD105

Distribution & Population
The global population size has not been
quantiﬁed, but the species is described as
widespread and common, although locally
uncommon (del Hoyo et al. 1992). The species iscurrently assessed as being of Least Concern by
IUCN.
Historic and Present Status in Trade
This species of raptor is observed in trade as anovelty pet in some Southeast Asian countries(Shepherd et al, 2004).
Survey Findings
Six animals were advertised for sale on Facebook,by at least six sellers, featuring in nine posts.

Buyer didnt take it in the end, cse 7mths old, self-pickup, seremban area, serious whatsapp directly to
014628059, dont pm.

13 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

04
Barn Owl

Tyto alba

Native to Malaysia
CITES Appendix: II
WCA Status: Totally Protected
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Average Price: USD78

Distribution & Population
Often described as the most widely distributed
species of owl, and has an extremely large range.
The species is currently assessed as being of Least
Concern by IUCN.
Historic and Present Status in Trade
In Peninsular Malaysia, their emergence for thewild meat trade in large volume was reported in2008 when PERHILITAN seized almost 900 owls
(Anon, 2008; TRAFFIC 2012). The emergence ofBarn Owl consumption for the wild meat trade
was unheard of in Peninsular Malaysia prior tothese seizures, and it now appears that it is also
being sought after for the pet trade in Malaysia, as
has been observed elsewhere in the region such as
Indonesia and Thailand (Profauna, 2009; Shepherd,2012).
Survey Findings
Between 21 - 29 individual animals were
advertised for sale on Facebook during the survey
period, involving nine unique sellers and featured
in 12 posts.

Greetings..anyone interested in a barn owl..???there are
two...interested please PM me...ready stock

05

Distribution & Population
Trade, acting in conjunction with habitat loss
throughout the species' range, appears to haveseriously impacted this species, withsigniﬁcant population declines due to trade
noted in China, Indonesia, Peninsular Malaysia,
Thailand (all major declines), the Philippines,
and parts of India and Laos (BirdLife, 2015).
Despite these, the species is currently
assessed as being of Least Concern by IUCN.

Hill Myna

Gracula religiosa
Native to Malaysia
CITES Appendix: II
WCA Status: Protected
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Average Price: USD105

Historic and Current Status in Trade
The Hill Myna is one of the most popular avian
pets in Asia, from 1994-2003, over 170,000
wild-caught individuals were exported fromrange states (Birdlife, 2015).
During a three-day assessment in three of
Jakarta’s largest bird markets, 128 animals
were observed for sale (Chng et.al, 2015). In
December 2015, Indonesian authorities seized
557 Hill Mynas packed in plastic baskets inEast Java that were suspected to be smuggledfrom Kalimantan, destined for Jakarta’s bird
markets for the pet trade (Anon, 2015). In
Malaysia, this trade is also reported to belargely domestic; in 2012, PERHILITAN
registered 2551 Hill Mynas being kept as pets
(CITES, 2006; PERHILITAN, 2012).
Survey Findings
In Peninsular Malaysia, the hunting (trapping)

Hill myna for sale...national zoo area and melawati park
area...makes all sorts of noises and talks a little...MYR600..

of the species is allowed, and controlled througha licensing system. Open season for hunting(trapping) the species is from 1 July – 31
December. At least 39 animals were advertisedfor sale in nine posts, involving nine uniquesellers – 14 of these animals were advertised forsale during this period, while the advertisementof another 25 animals fell outside this period, all
by a single Facebook group.

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

14

06

Sunda Slow Loris

Nycticebus coucang

Native to Malaysia
CITES Appendix: I
WCA Status: Totally Protected
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Average Price: USD156

Distribution & Population
The Sunda Slow Loris is native to Indonesia,
Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Studies on the species in Indonesia andPeninsular Malaysia generally point to a low
population density. Therefore, large-scalecollections from the wild is likely to be
detrimental to the long-term survival of thespecies. The species is currently assessed as
being Vulnerable by IUCN, with trade being amajor threat to the species.
Historic and Current Status in Trade
The species is collected for use as pets, andthe animals are sold throughout Southeast
Asia (IUCN, 2015). Surveys conducted in bird
markets in Java from May and June 2009
found Sunda Slow Lorises to be the mostcommon primate seen in trade, with at least
45 animals oﬀered for sale in eight markets(Profauna, 2009).
The large volume of trade has led to theconclusion that Nycticebus species are notcommon enough to withstand the current
level of oﬀ-take, being the number one
protected species encountered during manyin-country animal market surveys (Nekaris andNijman, 2007).

Greetings, sorry, admin ran out of topic, for release to a newowner too busy with work, no time to play, semi-tame – anything,please whatsapp....

Survey Findings
At least 9 animals were advertised for sale ineight posts, involving eight unique sellers.

Sellers

During the assessment, 106 unique individual sellers (with one operating as both an individual
and a shop) were identified from the 236 posts offering wildlife for sale (Table 4). In addition, five
“shops” were documented, featuring at least 34 posts; however, it is not known whether these shops
also have physical outlets or only operate online.
Table 4: Seller Types

Seller Type

Individual

Shop

Individual & Shop

Total

Number

105

4

1

110

Proportion of Posts
(%)

86%

6%

8%

100%

Eight sellers dominated trade on the pages monitored, accounting for 43% (102) of posts and almost
half of the animals offered for sale (48% / 148). A brief summary of the trade activity involving thesemost active sellers is provided in Figure 9.

15 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

Figure 9: Summary of the Trade Activity Profiles of Eight Key Sellers

SUMMARY OF THE TRADE ACTIVITY PROFILE BY EIGHT KEY SELLERSPREDOMINANT WILDLIFE TYPE FOR SALE

Seller 1
Birds

Seller 2
Birds

Seller 3
Birds

Seller 4
Birds

Seller 5
ReptilesSeller 6
Birds

Seller 7
Mammals

Seller 8
Mammals

SellerKey Species Traded & Current Protection Level(WCA 2010)

Typical CITES
Listing

Volume ofanimals

Numberof Adverts

1

Birds: [Black-shouldered Kite: Totally Protected] [Brahminy
Kite: Totally Protected] [Blyth's Hawk-Eagle: Totally
Protected] [Brown Wood-owl: Totally Protected] [Barred
Eagle-owl: Totally Protected]
Three mammals: [Banded Linsang: Totally Protected] [Black
Giant Squirrel: Totally Protected] [Lesser Mousedeer: Protected]

CITES Appendix II

30 individuals

23

2

Birds: [Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot: Protected][Black-shouldered Kite: Totally Protected][Blue-and-gold Macaw: Not native to Malaysia][Leopard Cat: Totally Protected]
Mammals: [Slow Loris: Totally Protected][Dusky Leaf-monkey] [Pig-tailed Macaque: Protected]

CITES Appendix I & II

52 individuals

19

3

Reptiles: [Green Tree Python: Not native to Malaysia][Burmese Python: Not native to Malaysia][Blood Python: Totally Protected][Ball Python: Not native to Malaysia]
Common Iguana: Not native to Malaysia[Pig-nosed Turtle: Not native to Malaysia]

CITES Appendix II

12 individuals

13

4

Birds: [Eurasian Sparrowhawk: Totally Protected] [Green
Pigeon: Totally Protected] [Barn Owl: Totally Protected],[Crested Serpent-eagle: Totally Protected] [Black-shouldered
Kite: Totally Protected] [Brahminy Kite: Totally Protected][Brown Hawk-owl: Totally Protected] [Barred Eagle-owl:
Totally Protected]
One reptile: [Oriental Whip Snake: Protected]

CITES Appendix II

12 individuals

115

Birds: [Asian Crested Goshawk: Totally Protected] [Blackshouldered Kite: Totally Protected] [Blyth's Hawk-Eagle:
Totally Protected] [Brahminy Kite: Totally Protected][Changeable Hawk-Eagle: Totally Protected] [Crested
Serpent-eagle: Totally Protected]
One reptile: [Monocled Cobra: Protected]

CITES Appendix II

9 individuals

11

6
7
8

Birds: [Brahminy Kite: Totally Protected] [Barn Owl: Totally
Protected][Crested Serpent-eagle: Totally Protected] [Crested Serpenteagle: Totally Protected]
One mammal: [Banded Langur: Protected]

CITES Appendix II

20 individuals

8

Mammals: [Leopard Cat: Totally Protected] [Dusky Leaf
Monkey: Protected]
One Reptile: [Tokay Gecko: Protected]

CITES Appendix I/II

7 individuals

6

Mammals: [White-handed Gibbon: Totally Protected][Pig-tailed Macaque: Totally Protected][Malayan Sun Bear: Totally Protected]

CITES Appendix I & II

6 individuals

6

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

16

DISCUSSION
The Live Pet Trade

All posts documented during the assessment period concerned live animals. Many of the species
offered for sale are typical of what has historically constituted pets (cockatoos, parrots and snakes
for example), and therefore are frequently sold in typical pet stores. However, this assessment
unveils a trend in the sale of high profile and threatened mammals as pets, species that are otherwise
not permitted in trade locally, nor easily available. This includes 18 native mammal species such as
the Sun Bear, Sunda Slow Loris, White-handed Gibbon and Smooth Otter Lutrogale perspicillata,
and involves a minimum of 83 and a maximum of 101 animals for which trade is strictly prohibitedin Peninsular Malaysia.
Figures 10, 11 and 12 provide screenshot examples of the posts in which live juvenile mammals
were offered for sale. The identified demand for native wild animals as pets is one of the mostsignificant and concerning findings of the assessment. Trade in such species has not previously
been documented on this scale in Peninsular Malaysia; the notion being that this demand may havealways existed. However, Peninsular Malaysia has never historically had open physical markets
offering threatened mammals for sale, which has served to hinder the progression of this demandand subsequent trade, unlike countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar (Shepherd andNijman, 2007; Shepherd and Nijman, 2008; Chng et al. 2015). The emergence of social media hascreated a platform for illegal trade in Peninsular Malaysia in the form of a virtual marketplace,enabling this trade. The terms “baby” and “juvenile” appeared in 37 and two posts respectively,
signifying a demand for young animals, and therefore a constant collection pressure on young
animals sought for this trade. The rapid turnover of stock, illustrated by the high frequency ofyoung animals observed in trade, is also of concern as this indicates a continual supply of animals
required to feed demand. The source of the animals was not described in any of the documented
posts, however, references were made to some individuals being “tame”; again confirming that thesales are occurring primarily for the pet trade. Given the composition of the species observed, most
if not all of the animals were undoubtedly sourced from the wild.

Figure 10: White-handed Gibbon
for sale in November 2014

Figure 11: Sun Bear for sale in January
2015

Figure 12: Banded Langur for sale inFebruary 201517 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

Native vs Non-Native Species in Trade

Most of the species found for sale (n=49 / 61%) during the assessment are native to Malaysia,
involving a minimum of 254 animals. However, 31 species comprising only birds and reptiles
are not native to the country. Of these, 81% (n=25) are listed in either one of the three CITES
Appendices and governed by Malaysia’s CITES Act. This effectively means that for these animals,
involving a minimum of 50 individuals, legal trade is only permitted where a valid CITES permit
has been acquired. However, as noted earlier, any references to licences was rare.
More specifically, of the ten CITES Appendix I listed species found for sale during the assessment(Figure 5) the six reptile and four bird species are not native to the country, with at least 10
individuals being offered for sale. This includes at least two Critically Endangered Yellow-crested
Cockatoos Cacatua sulphurea (Figure 13). This species is endemic to Indonesia and Timor-Leste
where it is Totally Protected by law yet it has undergone a dramatic population decline due tothe illegal domestic and international pet trades, and is now extinct, or near extinct in the wild,
throughout its range (BirdLife, 2015).
This similarly applies to the Critically Endangered Ploughshare Tortoise Astrochelys yniphora andRadiated Tortoise Astrochelys radiata, both species endemic to Madagascar. International tradein these tortoises is known to pose a direct threat to their survival exemplified recently in October
2015, when 763 Radiated Tortoises and eight Ploughshare Tortoises were seized by Customs at
Antananarivo Airport in Madagascar en route to Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur (Lee, 2015;
TRAFFIC, 2015). Such incidents illustrate how non-native species are being smuggled into
Malaysia, in direct violation of Malaysia’s CITES Act which carries a maximum fine of MYR2
million (USD460 500) and seven years jail if convicted.

Figure 13: Yellow-crested Cockatoo for sale inNovember 2014

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

18Groups

The assessment’s parameters concentrated exclusively on 14 Facebook groups, pre-selected due to ahigh level of wildlife trade occurring on those pages. During the time of the survey, a minimum of
67 532 individuals formed the membership of all 14 groups; one particularly large group had 21 190
members (Figure 14).
Figure 14: Number of Individual Members of the 14 Facebook Groups

During the course of the assessment, at least one of these groups was known to have changed its
name, due to governmental vigilance and successful enforcement actions under “Operation Taring”.
One key group disproportionally accounted for 115 posts (close to 50% of the total); this group
had the second highest membership of almost 9000 members. At least 60 unique sellers posted
advertisements on this page, accounting for a maximum of 88 animals being offered for sale. The
scale of activity and the high number of sellers featured here is therefore likely to yield informationof good intelligence value.
Any enforcement action targeted towards an identified group needs to anticipate the displacementof trade to other, similar, currently existing groups, or the creation of a new group to replace theoriginal. However, while displacement may occur in some cases, the level of trade is likely to have
reduced. For example, groups that have membership bases of over 21 000 individuals takes timeto get to such levels and it seems safe to assume that their replication will not happen instantly.
Therefore, shutting down groups can form a viable tactical option to disrupt trade in the short term.

19 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

Sellers

Sellers appear to operate with impunity, and any reference to legislation, legality or permits is rare.
Very little effort is given to disguising illegal activity; the use of codes or any forms of text deception
is non-existent. The term “serious buyer” appeared 17 times, involving a total of 24 animals across
15 species, signifying that traders were looking only for buyers that were more interested in making
a purchase. Trading appears to be very relaxed and traders will happily provide their contact details
and will sometimes offer to deliver the animal to the buyer’s home address. Most traders monitored
expressed a preference for WhatsApp, rather than Facebook messaging, to discuss prices andtransactions.
This assessment not only illustrates the high volume of trade occurring on Facebook, but also
reveals the great number of sellers involved. Each trader appears to be operating on a relatively
small scale, yet the volume of trade itself is great, cumulatively being driven by many individuals.
It is clear that the trade primarily targets the domestic market, given that the language used was
predominantly Bahasa Malaysia, prices were quoted in Malaysian Ringgit and local transportation/ delivery options were available. Additionally, wording in the adverts included “free delivery” and“delivered by bus” in regard to the transport of the animals once purchased. Some even mentioneddelivering live specimens by post. On only one occasion, involving Radiated Tortoises, did a trader
offer to ship the animals overseas (Figure 15) and therefore contravenes CITES.

Figure 15: Example of a Post where a Trader was Offering to
Ship the Animals Overseas

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

20Price information was given in 79 of the 236 posts, for a total of 30 species (38%), including all sixof the most commonly traded species. Prices for individual animals ranged from a low of MYR40(USD9.30) for an Asian Vine Snake Ahaetulla prasina to a high of MYR 13 119 (USD3 000) for a
Palm Cockatoo Probosciger aterrimus. If the total minimum (n=209) and total maximum (n=265)
number of animals recorded for each of these 30 species fetches the prices as advertised in these
posts, the value of the illegal trade in these animals was worth a minimum MYR118 525(USD27 700) and a maximum MYR184 450 (USD43 100) (Figure 16).
Figure 16: Estimated value for 30 (38%) individuals where price was openly advertised

ESTIMATED VALUE FOR 30 (38%)
SPECIES WHERE PRICE WAS
OPENLY ADVERTISED$

The value of animals
are at a maximum of

MYR184,450=

4 Myvi cars		

Enforcement Action

Two comprehensive reports were disseminated to PERHILITAN during the assessment period.
These reports concerned six posts for Totally Protected and / or CITES Appendix I listed species
and were provided with dossiers on traders and their trading activities on other social networking
sites (such as Instagram). These were reported based on timeliness of the information received (forswift enforcement action) and the illegality of the trade.
Over the past year, Malaysian authorities, particularly PERHILITAN, have conducted a series ofinvestigations into the online trade which has resulted in enforcement successes. In January 2015,
PERHILITAN ran “Operation Taring”, in which seven suspects aged between 19 and 30 werearrested. Officials confiscated 64 Totally Protected animals, including Sun Bear cubs, Leopard Cat
cubs, slow loris, eagles and parrots (Kanyakumari, 2015). In July 2015, PERHILITAN arrested
four individuals for trying to sell orangutans after they had advertised these animals via Facebook.
The subsequent investigations resulted in the arrest of two Malaysians and two Indonesians who
were believed to be part of a trafficking syndicate. All four have since been charged with illegal
possession and causing suffering to the animals under the WCA.

21 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

By its very nature online trade is, in most situations, accessible to anyone using the internet. The
web’s visibility presents greater opportunities in terms of monitoring illegal activity as well as
the reporting of such activities, compared to any such activity taking place in a physical market.
Towards this end, TRAFFIC has been receiving an increasing number of reports on the illegal
wildlife trade occurring on Facebook, not just in Peninsular Malaysia, but also from Sabah andSarawak on Borneo. During 2014, only eight reports were either responded to or detected by
TRAFFIC concerning wildlife trade on Facebook in Malaysia. However, in 2015 this figure rose to
37 reports (excluding those documented as part of this assessment), and involved a minimum of 59
individual animals from 42 species. This includes seven gibbons, two Sun Bears, Sunda Pangolins
Manis javanica and the Bornean endemic Earless Monitor Lizard Lanthanotus borneensis. In July
2015, an advertisement was posted on Facebook offering “a bunch of Borneo Earless Monitors for
sale, export available” (suspected to be at least 30 individuals). This is the first documented incidentof the species being offered for sale in Malaysia (Stoner and Nijman, 2015). In addition, 33 reports
were received for Indonesia in 2015, reinforcing that illegal trade on social media is not unique to
Malaysia.

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

22CONCLUSION
Close to half of the trade recorded during this assessment was deemed to be illegal, involving
49 species for which trade is prohibited under Peninsular Malaysian law. This rapid assessment
illustrates that wildlife trade conducted on Facebook is a cause for concern and is more widespreadthan previously thought. Significantly, it has revealed a domestic demand in Malaysia for highprofile wild mammals as pets.
A minimum of 311 and a maximum of 380 individual animals and birds from a total of 80 species
were recorded for sale. Considering the relatively short time period spent monitoring these websites(around 50 hours over five months, or 30 minutes a day), the volume of trade recorded from just
14 Facebook groups seems high. Equally significant is the fact that 106 unique sellers have been
identified from the 236 advertisements, emphasizing the involvement of many individuals in illegal
activity. At least 60 unique sellers posted advertisements on just one Facebook page, accounting
for a maximum of 88 (28%) animals being offered for sale. All the sellers have conducted trade
in a blatant manner, expressing no fear of apprehension. Furthermore, a number of sellers were
found to have been offering wildlife for sale on other platforms in addition to Facebook, for instance
Instagram.
Notably, this research also demonstrates a domestic demand for native mammals in the live pet
trade, the prevalence of which was not previously documented within Malaysia. Popular species
include Sun Bears, gibbons, Sunda Slow Lorises and otters, which recorded regular turnover. This is
unsurprising given that all animals found for sale were live; the majority of them juvenile animals.
The breadth of species observed was also of concern, particularly as a high proportion of tradecontravenes legislation, with 93% of the encountered species protected by Malaysian law and listed
in one of the three CITES appendices, which requires relevant CITES permits where non-native
species are in trade.
With illegal wildlife trade gaining more publicity on the world stage, governments have dedicatedgreater effort and resources to combating and curtailing the problem. Vigilance and scrutiny bysociety and the private sector have increased in tandem. Traders, especially those intending toconduct their business illegally, are therefore predisposed to seek other, non-conventional methodsof sale, such as social media, which provides efficient and private communication channels. Theease and convenience the internet offers benefits traders and buyers alike, particularly because of its
minimal outlay for business. They also potentially avoid taxes and the need to undergo any form of
scrutiny by complying with regulations, such as applications for permits and licences.
The challenges faced here are multi-faceted. Many enforcement authorities do not have adequate
systems, expertise or capacity to tackle this problem, including detecting criminal activity that
occur in Closed, protected areas involving the spectrum of platforms allowing online trade. Often,
authorities are able to take action to combat wildlife trade that contravenes legislation within
their jurisdiction, but they need to be able to detect it in the first instance and specialist resources
are required to investigate and take action that may lead to prosecution or other deterrents,
especially where they involve a network or organized criminality. This report highlights the easeand convenience of conducting business through social media, whether it involves legal or illegal
activity.

23 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

The sheer volume of wildlife trade observed serves to exemplify the need for additional resources
to ensure the regular monitoring of online activity. Although this has already been initiated by
PERHILITAN through its Cybercrime Unit and collaboration with the MCMC, the viral nature of
the internet and its ability to expand rapidly means that law enforcement agencies will constantly be
at a disadvantage. Therefore shared responsibility to ably tackle this problem is required.
In line with this, TRAFFIC has initiated discussions with Facebook Asia-Pacific based on thefindings of this assessment. Facebook has expressed commitment to working with TRAFFIC tohelp tackle the illegal online trade of wildlife in Malaysia. Its user Terms of Service do not permit
the sale and trade of endangered animals, and states that Facebook would not hesitate to remove any
reported and verified content that violates these terms.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Short Term: Improving Detection and Law Enforcement

Consideration should be given to closer collaboration between law enforcement agencies andFacebook to ensure that prolific and repeat offenders are targeted in a co-ordinated and effective
manner. Under their Law Enforcement Guidelines, Facebook’s current practice is to liaise with— and respond to — law enforcement requests concerning illegal activity. To complement this,
TRAFFIC will seek to facilitate collaboration between Facebook and the relevant law enforcement
agencies and regulatory bodies in Malaysia, including wildlife departments, multimedia agencies,
and the police. This is needed to meaningfully tackle this crime type through a more formal
engagement to fully utilise the current procedures outlined by Facebook’s Law Enforcement
Guidelines. Moving forward, TRAFFIC will also endeavour to work closely with Facebook andrelevant agencies in other countries facing similar issues regarding the illegal online trade inwildlife.

Medium Term: Civil Society Engagement

Private sector companies that operate social media sites play a pivotal role in raising awarenessregarding this issue. Equally, members of the public accessing these sites are encouraged to reportillegal activity to the authorities, or other platforms available for such purposes. The current
situation means consistent and wide-scale monitoring of illegal activity on social media sites islargely absent and remains a challenge for law enforcement. However, the public denouncement ofillegal wildlife trade on social media sites could serve to deter potential sellers. Various options toreport violations involving wildlife crime exist, which include:
1. A direct report to law enforcement agencies at a national level;
2. A direct report to Facebook itself: Facebook’s Community Standards is a strong affirmation of
its policy against any illegal activity, including wildlife crime, and provides a procedure for any
direct reports to Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/help/181495968648557?ref=communi
ty_standards;)
3. A report through TRAFFIC, including via the Wildlife Witness App that can be downloaded
for iPhone (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wildlife-witness/id738897823?mt=8) or Android(https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.taronga.wildwitness) Reports can involve posts,
messages, groups and other elements that can be considered a violation of legislation.

Long Term: Co-ordinated Dedicated Forum

While in many cases authorities are able to take action against illegal wildlife activity within theirjurisdiction, more can still be done to effectively and efficiently address this identified problem.
Given the scale of this problem at an international level, TRAFFIC encourages a dedicated forum at
a global and regional level with social networking bodies, governments, intergovernmental bodies
and NGO partners. This forum would serve as a platform for these stakeholders to consider specificissues and solutions concerning regulation of the illegal trade currently being conducted throughTRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

24social media, including how efforts by different parties can be strengthened and synchronised.
Viable options for self-policing by social media networks combined with mechanisms for reporting
illegal trade to enhance enforcement efforts should be considered, including the establishmentof systems to prohibit or suspend social media accounts of repeat offenders. Partnerships
between governments, social media companies, international enforcement agencies like Interpol,
conservation groups and regulatory institutions such as CITES need to formulate new, realistic
solutions to address this uniquely challenging and rapidly evolving method of wildlife trafficking.

25 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

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TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

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ANNEX 1
Full itinerary of species found advertised for sale in Peninsular Malaysia from November 2014 –March 2015
SpeciesNumber ofadvertisements
featured

Min number Max number ofof individuals individuals

CITES
Appendix

WCA
Protection status

Prionailurus bengalensis

24

27

42

I/II

TP

Elanus caeruleus

18

33

55

II

TP

Tyto alba

12

21

29

II

TP

Spilornis cheela

9

6

9

II

TP

Gracula religiosa

9

39

39

II

P

Ketupa ketupu

8

5

8

II

TP

Nycticebus coucang

8

9

9

I

TP

Trachypithecus obscurus

6

6

6

II

P

Prionodon linsang

6

5

6

II

TP

Python reticulatus

6

6

6

II

P

Milvus migrans

5

3

5

II

TP

Spizaetus cirrhatus

5

7

7

II

TP

Haliastur indus

5

6

6

II

TP

Strix leptogrammica

5

6

9

II

TP

Cacatua galerita galerita

6

17

19

II

P

Psittacula longicauda

5

4

6

II

TP

Macaca nemestrina

4

6

6

II

P

Python brongersmai

4

8

8

II

TP

Paradoxurus hermaphroditus

4

8

8

III

P

Lutrogale perspicillata

4

3

4

II

TP

Spizaetus nipalensis

3

1

3

II

TP

Python regius

3

2

3

II

P

Tragulidae spp.

3

3

3

NC

P

Crocodylus porosus

3

3

3

I/II

TP

Spizaetus alboniger

3

3

3

II

TP

Macaca fascicularis

3

3

3

II

P

Morelia viridis

3

1

3

II

P

Bubo sumatranus

3

3

3

II

TP

Ratufa bicolor

2

3

3

II

TP

Strix seloputo

2

2

2

II

TP

Astrochelys radiata

2

3

3

I

TP

Iguana iguana

2

2

2

II

TP

Aratinga solstitialis

2

2

3

II

P

Prionailurus planiceps

2

1

2

I

TP

Helarctos malayanus

2

2

2

I

TP

Probosciger aterrimus

2

2

2

I

TP

Carettochelys insculpta

2

2

2

II

TP

Psittacus erithacus

2

2

2

I

P

Hylobates lar

2

2

2

II

TP

29 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

Python bivittatus

2

2

2

II

P

Chelydra serpentina

2

2

2

NC

Not listed

Herpestes javanicus

1

1

1

III

TP

Cacatua ducorpsii

1

1

1

II

P

Loriculus galgulus

1

1

1

II

P

Gekko gecko

1

1

1

NC

P

Arctictis binturong

1

1

1

III

TP

Erythrura gouldiae

1

1

1

NC

Not listed

Macrochelys temminckii

1

1

1

III

P

Cacatua alba

1

1

1

II

P

Martes flavigula

1

1

1

III

TP

Pycnonotus zeylanicus

1

1

1

II

TP

Geochelone elegans

1

1

1

II

P

Heosemys spinosa

1

1

1

II

P

Morelia spilota

1

1

1

II

P

Ahaetulla prasina

1

1

1

NC

P

Geochelone platynota

1

1

1

I

P

Leiopython albertisii

1

1

1

II

P

Lutrinae spp

1

1

1

NC

TP

Haliaeetus leucogaster

1

1

1

II

TP

Trichoglossus haematodus

1

1

1

II

P

Ara ararauna

1

1

1

II

P

Copsychus malabaricus

1

1

1

NC

P

Ninox scutulata

1

1

1

II

TP

Heosemys grandis

1

1

1

II

P

Astrochelys yniphora

1

1

1

I

TP

Python curtus

1

1

1

II

P

Nymphicus hollandicus

1

1

1

NC

Not listed

Accipiter trivirgatus

1

1

1

II

TP

Ophiophagus hannah

1

1

1

II

P

Cacatua sulphurea

2

2

2

I

TP

Boiga dendrophila

1

1

1

NC

P

Phodilus badius

1

1

1

II

TP

Garrulax leucolophus

1

1

1

NC

Not listed

Platysternon megacephalum

1

1

1

I

P

Chelus fimbriatus

1

1

1

NC

Not listed

Presbytis femoralis

1

1

1

II

P

Accipiter nisus

1

1

1

II

TP

Aldabrachelys gigantea

1

1

1

II

Not listed

Myiopsitta monachus

1

1

1

II

P

Naja kaouthia

1

1

1

II

P

243

311

380

TOTAL

TP: Totally Protected; P: Protected.

TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.

30

MARCH 2016
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network,is the leading non-governmental organization
working globally on trade in wild animals andplants in the context of both biodiversity
conservation and sustainable development.
For further information contact:
TRAFFICSoutheast Asia Regional Office
Unit 3-2, 1st Floor
Jalan SS23/11, Taman SEA
47400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
Telephone: (603) 7880 3940
Fax : (603) 7882 0171
Website: www.traffic.org

UK Registered Charity No. 1076722,
Registered Limited Company No. 3785518.

is a strategic alliance of

32 TRAFFIC Report: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.