More than a year ago, two officers from the California department of fish and wildlife (CDFW) were flying back to northern California from San Diego, dressed in plain clothes, and struck up a conversation with a couple seated nearby who were discussing hunting.
They also mentioned illegally hunting a mountain lion, a specially protected species in California, and told the officers about a relative’s “trophy room” full of taxidermized mountain lions, a wolverine and other animals.
Inside the home, wildlife officers also found mountain lion claws, a ringtail cat, a mounted barn owl and several deer taken without proper tags.
A California couple learned the hard way that discussing their travel plans with strangers can have dire consequences, especially when those plans involve transporting the remains of a protected sea turtle in their carry-on luggage.
Global wildlife trafficking is the third-largest illegal trafficking activity in the world, behind drug trafficking and counterfeit foods, according to a 2023 report from the ratings firm Moody’s.
