The pet trade

20140601iworkramaWild animals are exported from Guyana to supply the global demand for exotic pets. A few of the most commonly exported animals from Guyana include snakes such as the Amazon Tree Boa pictured here, lizards, land turtles, caiman and birds, especially parrots.

Fortunately, much of this trade is regulated and monitored through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), to which Guyana is a member, and permits are required for all animals which are being sold out of the country.

CITES is an international treaty, set up to ensure that the international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.