Canada is currently training its customs officers to identify and enforce the illegal wildlife imports and exports. They related a story of a black bear being shot, killed and frozen in Canada. One animal currently facing extinction is the rhino. Intelligence people need to look at laws, crimes and effectiveness of law enforcement. The biggest demand of wildlife is the Asian markets.
Research needs to look at both the supply and demand markets.
The international ban on ivory trade of 1989 is very successful due to the education of the public. One third of all the cocaine smuggled into the U.S. in 1993 was wildlife related. The same people smuggle drugs and wildlife, using the identical routes since the infrastructure is already set up. Direction and legislation are needed to protect wildlife. Beyond the year 2000, the biggest threat to wildlife and endangered species are the Asian markets for use as medicinal or aphrodisiac purposes.