NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar — Elephant skins, clouded leopard remains and tiger bones were among a $1.3 million haul of illegal wildlife incinerated Thursday in Myanmar’s first ever public event of its kind against the illicit trade. ADVERTISEMENTTrafficking and selling endangered animals is rampant across Myanmar, especially in border areas which serve as a key hub in the $20 billion a year global wildlife trade. Elephant parts — including chunks of skin — are the most lucrative for poachers in Myanmar. “Rare wildlife including Myanmar’s elephants, tigers, bears and pangolins are the natural heritage of our country,” Nyi Nyi Kyaw, director general of the Forest Department, said in a statement. Myanmar faces an uphill battle against poachers who rake in cash from its long unregulated wildlife trade, a business which thrives in the lawless eastern periphery and border regions.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer October 04, 2018 08:54 UTC