Illegal Wildlife Souvenirs

Saturday, March 1, 2003

Illegal Wildlife Souvenirs (NAPSA)—Visiting the Caribbean? Be careful when it comes to souvenir purchases, warns World Wildlife Fund. Every year, U.S. law enforcementofficials seize thousands of illegal items from travelers returning from vacation and sometimes imposefines on violators. Pereeeteee T Many wildlife products sold in the Caribbean may not be broughtinto the U.S. Manyillegal souvenirs are made from endangered species; often, wildlife products sold overseas cannot be brought into the United States, or require permits to do so. “Unsustainable trade is wiping out some of the very wildlife and habitat that travelers go to the Caribbean to enjoy,” says Leigh Henry of TRAFFIC, WWF’s wildlife trade monitoring network. More than four million Americans visit the Caribbean yearly, spending an average of $2,362 each. A new brochure called “Buyer Beware” published jointly by WWF's TRAFFIC andthe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, lists products to avoid in the Caribbean: * all sea turtle products * all spotted cat skin products * certain leather products from caiman, crocodiles, lizards and snakes * mostlive birds * somecorals and coral products * certain orchids andcacti To learn more, visit www.world wildlife.org/buyerbeware.

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