AI and Detection Technologies Expand in Global Wildlife Trafficking Fight

Technological tools are being deployed in multiple sectors to address the illegal wildlife trade, which experts at the 20th CITES Conference in Samarkand estimated generates billions of euros each year and affects tens of thousands of species.

AI-powered computer vision systems are now active at border checkpoints around the world, supporting the identification of endangered specimens crossing international boundaries. Drones and remote camera monitoring are also increasingly used to monitor wildlife and detect potential trafficking activities.

Online platforms have adopted AI detection tools to identify and remove listings related to illegal wildlife products. Since 2018, the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online, with support from companies such as Alibaba and Meta, has blocked millions of prohibited listings and suspected sellers.

Specialized AI models have been developed to enhance detection accuracy. For example, Baidu and IFAW’s AI Guardian of Endangered Species 2.0 has screened hundreds of thousands of images and facilitated the removal of thousands of illegal postings. eBay has also reported the integration of image-detection models into its enforcement processes, resulting in the removal of hundreds of listings.

What the numbers show

• Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online blocked 63.3 million listings since 2018
• Baidu and IFAW’s AI identified 40,000 wildlife product images and removed 15,000 illegal postings
• Each trained detection rat costs US $7,000–8,000, less than high-tech alternatives

Citizen science initiatives are also contributing to detection efforts. The Wildlife Cyber Spotter Program, coordinated by WWF-Singapore, trains over 100 volunteers each quarter who have identified tens of thousands of suspicious online listings and hundreds of new tactics used to evade detection.

At ports, both automated and biological detection methods are in use. In Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port, trials have shown that African giant pouched rats trained by Apopo can locate trafficked wildlife products even when hidden among other materials. These rats signal detection by tugging a ball attached to their vest, providing a lower-cost alternative to some high-tech systems.

Organizations are investing in new infrastructure to enhance detection capabilities. In August 2025, TRAFFIC received a grant to upgrade its IT systems, including automation tools such as media monitoring software, web scraping, and AI-powered data processing to better identify wildlife trafficking activity.

Real-time monitoring platforms like EarthRanger use GNSS collar data and geofencing to track endangered animals and send alerts when they enter high-risk areas. AI-powered surveillance systems such as wpsWatch analyze images from thousands of camera traps and send notifications through various channels. In maritime contexts, Skylight’s AI processes large volumes of satellite and vessel data to detect suspicious vessel behavior, such as unauthorized entry into protected zones or covert transfers at sea.

The Wildlife Crime Technology Project, with support from WWF and Google.org, continues to develop automated detection solutions for use at ports. These systems use machine-learning algorithms to screen passenger luggage and air cargo, aiming to address gaps in current security screening for wildlife trafficking.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.