Juan Pablo Ampudia

Documentary Photographer
    
THE ILLEGAL MARKET OF TARANTULAS IS A HAIRY BUSINESS
Public Project
THE ILLEGAL MARKET OF TARANTULAS IS A HAIRY BUSINESS
Copyright Juan Pablo Ampudia 2024
Date of Work Oct 2018 - Nov 2018
Updated Feb 2022
Topics tarantula
Little studied, these spiders are the object of a booming illicit trade as pets and display pieces. Scientists report a significant amount of illegal activity involving tarantulas, believed to be fueled largely by hobbyists willing to pay hundreds of dollars apiece for pet spiders.

The illegal tarantula trade is a little-known corner of the black market in wildlife, a multibillion-dollar industry that’s harming animal populations around the globe. To keep up with demand, some traders hire local people to hunt tarantulas in the wild. The spiders are smuggled out, then sold to breeders or collectors looking for the newest, most colorful, or otherwise most distinctive creature.

The illegal market for tarantulas is hairy business
Little studied, these spiders are the object of a booming illicit trade as pets and display pieces.

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THE ILLEGAL MARKET OF TARANTULAS IS A HAIRY BUSINESS by Juan Pablo Ampudia
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