Wildlife Trafficker Arrested in Taiwan with 87 Animals Taped to Her Body

In northern Taiwan on Tuesday, customs authorities confirmed the arrest of a 64-year-old suspected wildlife trafficker, found with 87 live animals taped to her body. The woman, a repeat offender, arrived on a flight from Bangkok and attempted to enter Taoyuan airport in Taipei. The suspect, accompanied by a friend, was carrying at least four species of primates, most of which face euthanasia under Taiwanese law due to strict regulations on the import of wild animals. Already on the Taipei Customs watch list, she was apprehended with numerous specimens, including endangered class 1-3 protected species.

Among the animals found was a Sunda slow loris, categorized as class 1 protected by Taiwan’s Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency and listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Other animals included common marmosets, Senegal bushbabies, Asian barred owlets, green iguanas, Nile monitors, Indian star tortoises, Mekong snail-eating turtles, and elongated tortoises. According to local laws, all but the Sunda slow loris are likely to be euthanized to prevent disease spread.

Taiwan’s Customs Administration has initiated an investigation into the case but withheld the suspect’s name and nationality. They did not provide the exact number of animals found, nor the market value of the trafficked wildlife.

Taiwan faces ongoing challenges with wildlife smuggling, attracting both local and foreign buyers willing to pay high prices for exotic species from neighboring regions. This incident follows a series of recent smuggling attempts, including a Taiwanese national caught in December at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport with otters and a prairie dog, and a thwarted attempt in October 2021 to smuggle 154 cats from China disguised as fish cargo.

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