Money laundering, crime families, the spread of disease and animal suffering – the phenomenon of wildlife smuggling has serious consequences.
Recently, the Internet was abuzz with the smuggling of lion cubs and dozens of monkeys. It was said that this was the largest smuggling of wild animals in Israel, but the reality is far from that. This may be the largest smuggling in Israel in recent years – of mammals. The more common cases of animal smuggling – which attract less media attention – are mostly of birds and reptilesWill the excessive coverage of animals like lions and monkeys help address the smuggling of other animals? How does legal trade mix with illegal trade and how does this help criminal organizations rake in tens of millions of shekels a year?
Animals that pass through a screen
"There is no doubt that lion cubs and monkeys evoke more intense emotions than reptiles and birds," says Dr. Tamar Friedman, a primatologist and founder of the Israeli Monkey Sanctuary. Lion cubs and monkeys are examples of "charismatic" species. These are animals, usually large and popular mammals, that are used Mini flag and influence The ads For the preservation of animal species. These are animals for whom we tend to feel more compassion and empathy. These are animals that identify more with the human species. And who are close? More evolutionarily similar to us. Their big eyes and the proximity of their nose to their mouth Inciting Build affection, identification and care. "The scale of the smuggling, which includes dozens of monkeys, and the wide exposure they receive on social media cannot leave the authorities indifferent," says Friedman, referring to the Israel Police and the Nature and Parks Authority. The bias in favor of charismatic species also affects project financing וStudies And proof as important in motivating struggles for the conservation of other species. "For many people, it is completely normal for a parrot to be sitting in a cage – even though it is really not normal. People see it and move on. When it comes to monkeys and lions, they suddenly ask, 'Where are the authorities?' If they behaved like this in the context of parrots and reptiles, then perhaps the world of illegal animal trade would be handled better," says Dr. Noga Shani, an expert in political ecology and environmental crime from Reclaim Conservation. "Even a lizard or a parrot that is smuggled in a sock in a suitcase – and there have been many of these in recent years – is the same problem, the same suffering and the same environmental damage as the smuggling of lion cubs and monkey cubs, but the public does not understand this," she adds.
In light of this, there is a gap between what is reported in the media and the more common cases of animal smuggling. "The large quantities of animals smuggled into the country are mainly parrots and reptiles - these are crazy numbers. Although in recent years there have been a lot of articles about reptiles and birds being seized at Ben Gurion Airport, but only as sub-articles, and then it disappeared. It doesn't arouse the same enthusiasm that an incident with lions and monkeys arouses," says Shani. Several smuggling attempts have been reported in the past two years. In 2023, a woman in her 30s was arrested at Ben Gurion Airport after more than 70 reptiles - some of them rattlesnakes - were found in her suitcase. In 2024, two attempts were made to smuggle dozens of snakes of different species through Ben Gurion Airport on flights from Germany and Italy. The event that particularly "grabbed" the headlines occurred in 2023: the tragic case of the lion cub (Zion-niv) Abu-Malek, who was smuggled into Israel from Jordan. Abu-Malek will never return to his mother or to the wild. Although he "received" extensive coverage, not much has changed since then.
Is it okay to take pictures with rescued animals?
Along with the extensive coverage of the events, the internet was filled with viral photos of law enforcement officers with lion cubs – a phenomenon that does no one any good. "I, along with Gali Davidson, head of the Animal Division at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, contacted police spokespeople to explain the phenomenon and the impact of the photos of the officers with the captured animals, and we hope that this will have an impact on future seizures," says Friedman. Studies They show that images and videos of women and professionals from the fields of research, veterinary medicine, and zoos, holding wild animals, may arouse in viewers the desire to purchase and keep a wild animal themselves. "For example, an image of a veterinarian holding a monkey that he is treating may be interpreted out of context and create the wrong impression," she says.
And what about such photos in homes or on trips? Friedman emphasizes that everyone involved should be held accountable: including those who uploaded videos with monkeys, whether they paid a dealer to take a picture with the monkey or took a picture with a monkey owned by a friend. "By doing this, they are collaborating and encouraging the abuse of wild animals. Each such video has a huge impact on the public and arouses a desire among people to purchase a monkey for themselves or use it as a 'prop' for social media. The wide distribution of videos showing monkeys and other wild animals being kept in homes normalizes the phenomenon and increases the desire to keep these animals as pets," Friedman explains.
Whitening animals and whitening wealth
Illegal wildlife trafficking is one of the largest organized crime branches in the world. According to Interpol, this is an industry that generates more From $20 billion a year"The sector attracts criminal elements who exploit the weakness of the enforcement authorities that protect wildlife, especially with the expansion of online trade," explains Attorney Amnon Keren, from the Clinic for Environmental Justice and Animal Rights Protection at Tel Aviv University. "The traffickers use technologically sophisticated tools and global financial systems, creating an attractive market where the risk of being caught is low and the profit potential is enormous," he explains. "This phenomenon requires entire networks of economic crime that include offenses of forgery, fraud, smuggling, non-payment of taxes and concealment of profits. Even enforcement and crime-fighting bodies that have no direct connection to wildlife protection recognize the close connection between wildlife trade and money laundering offenses," says Keren.
"A careful examination conducted in Israel revealed that the illegal trade amounts to tens of millions of shekels a year – a conservative estimate. These amounts can come through large transactions, as we saw with the lions and monkeys, and also through the accumulation of many transactions of lower value over time," he explains. And despite the high amounts, even in the current incident we have not yet seen the financial authorities take action.
"The same person who sells a lion cub for 120,000 NIS doesn't report it to anyone," says Attorney Shai Peretz, the chief prosecutor of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INP). "The traders who sell a monkey, a bird or a reptile - for high sums and without a permit - are also laundering enormous wealth here. We have followed traders who have reached sums of hundreds of thousands of shekels within a few months. Crime families and criminal organizations are involved in this. The Money Laundering Prohibition Law is the main tool that makes it possible to combat the phenomenon with appropriate and predatory tools and stipulates a deterrent punishment," he says. "Those criminals are not only involved in the animal trade. Those who smuggle animals also smuggle drugs and weapons, and we need to take them into account because they harm many of our life systems in the country," says Peretz.
Alongside money laundering, there is also laundering of smuggled species into domestic trade under the cover of enforcement difficulties and inconsistent policies. "Usually, the large quantity of animals smuggled into the country are animals for which it is theoretically possible to obtain a permit from the Animal Welfare Department for domestic trade. The traders prefer to smuggle them in order to save on the costs of legal import. As soon as they arrive in the country, they are mixed in with the animals that were born in the country or arrived legally; this way they are 'laundered' and it is impossible to distinguish between those that are legal and those that are smuggled," explains Shani. In addition, a lack of transparency increases the lack of awareness. "The Animal Welfare Department does not publish the list of people and businesses that have permits to breed and trade animals. Therefore, potential buyers have no way of knowing whether the person offering them the animal is a licensed trader or not and must trust their words. This of course creates confusion among buyers and encourages illegal trade," she says. "The vast majority of the pressure on the authorities comes from the traders who want more species and more concessions. There is almost no public pressure that this is animal cruelty and that this is an immoral, and in most cases illegal, activity," and draws attention to the fact that we, the public, also have a role to play.
As part of the Facebook page's activitiesWild animals not pets"Checks were conducted on the scope of trade that takes place without permits. "Through checks on social networks and platforms such as Facebook, Telegram and Yad 2, we identified during a short period in 2021 almost 2,000 users who were trading in wildlife, while according to RTG that year there were only 182 traders with a permit," says Shani. "There is no way these are all the traders who operated that year because there are people who sell on other networks, in their private homes, in stores and in other ways. According to our data, at least 90 percent are illegal, but it is probably much more than that," she explains.
A crocodile illegally held in central Israel, March 2025. Photo: Israel Nature and Parks Authority and Israel Police Spokesperson's Office
disease outbreak
In the various articles about the monkeys and lions, warnings were added to the public, stating that anyone who has been around the smuggled wild animals should go get tested for fear of infection. In zoonotic diseasesZoonotic diseases are Transmissible diseases Between animals and humans and vice versa. In many cases, the animals' difficult journeys from their country of origin include being held in poor physical conditions, contact with other animals, stressful situations, and cruel abuse. These create ideal conditions for the spread of diseases. For example, Friedman treated a monkey named 'Bhati' who contracted tetanus as a result of the traders neglecting a contaminated wound, and despite receiving special treatment for tetanus, his condition was too serious to be saved.
Although monkeys and lions are mammals like us and the fear of transmitting diseases from them seems more plausible, we need to look at the majority of wildlife traded here, both legally and illegally. “Smuggling reptiles and birds also carry diseases that can harm humans or other animals they come into contact with at the dealer or at the pet store,” Friedman explains. Reptiles may distribute Diseases – some of which are fatal, such as salmonellosis (caused by the Salmonella bacteria), hepatitis, and tuberculosis. They may carry viral pathogens such as herpes, flu-like viruses, and even gastrointestinal parasites, mites, and more.
Will charismatic species bring about change?
"While the existing law was good and progressive at the time, it is now outdated. There is no reference to the shift of trade online, its vast quantities, and the issue of money laundering. In addition, we have very few people who can enforce the illegal trade and confiscate animals. The amount of work they have is enormous and involves endless bureaucracy and working with other authorities. We have two people in the country with the authority to confiscate and punish, when we need at least two people for each district in the country. We are not on track at all," says Shani.
Peretz also reinforces the claim about the lack of manpower and the difficulty in enforcement. "The Nature and Parks Authority, lacking authority and means, is dealing with the third largest crime in the world. There is motivation, will and investment with all the relevant parties to advance matters, and unfortunately we are dependent on the legislature and on agreements from political bodies to receive broader authority," says Peretz.
"The tools for enforcing justice and combating the global and cross-border phenomenon are with the police, and we need cooperation on their behalf. Even when there is media pressure and there is cooperation, it is sometimes partial and reserved; the police do not give us the names of the suspects and there are no arrests, and this only encourages those criminals who see that even when their lions are seized, they are not held accountable," explains Peretz.
However, there is room for optimism. Following successful cooperation between the Border Police and the Border Patrol, illegal wildlife seizures have been carried out in recent weeks. In these cases, an Ashkelon resident was detained for questioning after rare lizards were found in his home, and in a moshav in the center of the country, a crocodile, an anaconda, poisonous frogs, lizards, and more were found. "We met with the Minister of the Environment and presented the points that are so important to address immediately in terms of granting authorities and providing additional budget for enforcement, and in terms of punishment. We very much hope that the mobilization of the various authorities will lead to substantial change and will not fade away as soon as the issue drops out of the headlines," concludes Friedman.
The Israel Police responded:
The Israel Police, together with the Nature and Parks Authority, continue to work to locate animals that are being kept illegally, causing significant harm to the animal.
The police and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority are working together to save wildlife, and so far in the past month alone, they have managed to rescue 4 lion cubs, 24 monkeys, and a variety of other wildlife. In light of the high number of cases, the guidelines from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority's professional officials for the correct, safe, and professional capture of wildlife have been sharpened.
We will continue to work resolutely to locate additional suspects with the aim of bringing them to justice.
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