Aktuálně.cz: Exports of rare animal species bred in Czechia growing

Exports of endangered animal species from the Czech Republic have been steadily growing over the past years, news site Aktuálně.cz reported on Sunday, with the largest number, nearly 55,000, being registered in 2020 by the Ministry for the Environment. Most of these animals were rare birds. At the same time, the news site informs that the number of intercepted illegal rare animal breed sales rose as well.

The Czech Republic currently ranks fourth in the world in terms of the largest endangered birds exporters in the world, after South Africa, Cuba and the Philippines, according to information from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The origins of Czechia’s major role in the international trade of rare animal species can be traced back to to the communist era when restrictions on travel led to people pursuing other ways of discovering exotic parts of the world, Pavla Říhová from Charles University’s Faculty of Science told Aktuálně.cz.