Multi-lingual multi-platform investigations of online trade in jaguar parts

Abstract

We conducted research to understand online trade in jaguar parts and develop tools of utility for jaguars and other species. Our research took place to identify potential trade across 31 online platforms in Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, French, Chinese, and Vietnamese. We identified 230 posts from between 2009 and 2019. We screened the images of animal parts shown in search results to verify if from jaguar; 71 posts on 12 different platforms in four languages were accompanied by images identified as definitely jaguar, including a total of 125 jaguar parts (50.7% posts in Spanish, 25.4% Portuguese, 22.5% Chinese and 1.4% French). Search effort varied among languages due to staff availability. Standardizing for effort across languages by dividing number of posts advertising jaguars by search time and number individual searches completed via term/platform combinations, the adjusted rankings of posts were: Portuguese #1, Chinese 2 (time) & 3 (searches), Spanish 3 & 4; French 5 & 4; English 5 & 2, and Dutch 6. Teeth were most common; 156 posts offered at least 367 apparent teeth. From these, 95 teeth were assessed as definitely jaguar; 71 jaguar teeth could be linked to a location, with the majority of the 71 offered for sale from Mexico, China, Bolivia, and Brazil (26.8, 25.4, 16.9, and 12.7% respectively). Ranking of number of teeth was Mexico (19), China (18), Bolivia (12), Brazil (9), Peru/Ecuador (most accurate probable location) (8), Venezuela (3), Guadeloupe (1), and Uruguay (1). The second most traded item, skins and derivative items were only identified from Latin America: Brazil (7), was followed by Peru (6), Bolivia (3), Mexico (2 and 1 skin piece), and Nicaragua and Venezuela (1 each). Whether by number of posts or pieces, the ranking of parts was teeth, skins/pieces of skins, heads, and bodies. Our research presents a snapshot of online jaguar trade and methods that may have utility for many species now traded online. Our research took place within a longer-term project to assist law enforcement in host countries to better identify potential illegal trade online, with research findings informing hubs in Latin America for building such capacity.