Websailor's Wacky Wildlife World
Created | Updated May 7, 2008
A quirky look at wildlife. To be taken with a pinch of
salt, but with more than a grain of truth!
Among My Souvenirs
Sun, Sea, Sand, Sangria and the three letter word would all be on the holiday agenda for many people, not forgetting souvenirs. So where does Wildlife come in to this equation? Well, unless you are looking for wildlife it probably doesn't. Beyond watching out for snakes, scorpions and other unwanted guests in your beds or luggage, that is! Or does it?
The holiday season is in full swing and I find myself thinking of all the souvenirs kind people have brought back for me over the years, as holidays haven't figured in my life for a long time. So many gifts from abroad are now tacky mass produced goods from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam etc and do not have the same appeal to my friends as something made locally in its country of origin, by the many talented craftsmen/women found worldwide.
Home made local craft goods are special and attract great interest. And here is where wildlife becomes an issue. When travelling abroad buying local gifts could present a difficult problem for anyone, which could get them in serious legal and financial trouble with the law when arriving back home. And ignorance is no defence! Tucked away, I have many gifts which would now be illegal, such as an Ebony dressing table set, an Ivory brooch, a Tortoiseshell (Turtle) Dressing Table Set, a Whale's Tooth necklace and various pieces of Coral and Sea Shells. All these from many years back I hasten to add!
Having seen and handled a lot of the wildlife goods confiscated from UK airports etc I can understand the attraction to the tourist. The goods are unique, well crafted, attractive and often inexpensive.
So, if you are planning to bring me back a present, Listen Up!!!! It is important to remember that when buying abroad the country of origin might turn a blind eye to your goods as you go through customs, but here in the UK, EU and many other countries, goods could well be confiscated, and you might also be fined substantially too. To bring some things back you might need a licence arranged with CITES CITES and/or DEFRA in the UK, or the International CITES body.
For example, if you are travelling to Cuba or the glorious Caribbean you would be wise to note that most of the Coral species sold as souvenirs are protected by CITES. Species such as Black Coral, Cable or Bush Coral, Hump, Fire and Lace Coral. As with Queen Conch Shells they all need a CITES permit to be brought back. It is also worth noting that Reptile skin products such as handbags, cases, belts, shoes etc need permits. Orchids, too, are protected.
Travelling to Mexico, you might be attracted to some of the exotic Cacti but these are banned from trade and even the seeds (from Mexican species originating in Mexico) need a permit.
African safaris and similar holidays in India will bring you in contact with shops, hotels and markets, and both African and Asian Ivory and Elephant products may be on sale. These too, are banned. There are special conditions in relation to Zimbabwe. It would be wise to contact DEFRA before you travel. Many Succulents (plants) and Orchids from South Africa are banned too.
India, Nepal and Pakistan are increasingly becoming popular destinations and here skins from leopards, jaguars, tigers and other protected Big Cats can be seen in small shops and markets but cannot be brought in to the EU. The USA has its own Rules, some of which have been watered down recently to the detriment of wildlife.
One particular fabric should be avoided and that is known as 'Shahtoosh'. A particularly beautiful, soft fabric sold as shawls, it comes from the wool of the Chiru, a Tibetan Antelope, which is now highly endangered as a result of a worldwide demand for these very expensive shawls. Unfortunately the animals are killed for their wool. It is not harvested, as we do with sheep wool. International trade in such products is banned and the fines are substantial.
In the Far East, particularly Thailand and Indonesia, many of the bans mentioned above apply but, in addition, you may be offered exotic flowers and carnivorous plants, or snake and lizard skin products. Again these may be prohibited in the UK and the EU.
Seashells are an age-old souvenir of holidays, but in the Philippines, keep them small. The Giant Clam is protected by CITES and would need a permit. Turtles are protected so if visiting Sri Lanka or The Maldives be wary of shops selling whole turtle shells, bracelets, earrings and other trinkets, often marked as 'tortoiseshell'. Some of the Corals on sale would also need an export permit in order to bring it home.
In the Middle East, if you have expensive tastes, or like exotic foodstuffs then beware of buying too much Caviar (Fish - Sturgeon's unfertilised roe eggs). Check its origins and, if in doubt, don't buy! All species of Sturgeon are controlled, but there is both a legal and an illegal trade, so don't be caught out. It is estimated that there has been a 70% decline in all species of Sturgeon, hence the high cost of good caviar, and the lucrative illegal trade.
I would hope it goes without saying that live specimens of any species from any country should not be bought, so no stuffing an exotic snake up your jacket before boarding the plane! Yes, it has been done! Turtles and Spiders have been known to be carried in hand luggage. You never know what you might be sitting next to on your homeward flight!
Australian Cockatoos, Hyacinth and Lears Macaws from Central and South America, African Grey Parrots and many birds of prey such as Peregrine Falcons, Golden Eagles, Hawks and Owls from many countries are just a few of the birds affected by the illegal trade. Malta, Cyprus and Greece have a particularly bad reputation for killing and dealing in animal and bird products. Equally the Taxidermy trade in dead specimens, stuffed, if you like, can also be illegal. So you see, tourism is a major factor in the decline of many species of birds, plants and animals. As the poachers and dealers are quick to tell us, they wouldn't do it if we didn't buy!
Though buying from stalls in a market or small shops can be great fun, you can instigate the same system as buying in a supermarket here. You buy one, stocks go down, the word goes back to the poachers and the 'big boys' that there is a demand and an order will go out for more of the same. In buying these products you would be as guilty of depleting endangered wildlife as the poachers. In fact more so, because in most cases they only do it to make a meagre living. The real money ends up in the pockets of the dealers and traffickers, often the same people who deal illegally in drugs and arms.
There are many crafts - basketware, soapstone carvings, woven, embroidered and knitted goods, pottery etc which can be bought and would help the local economy, so all is not doom and gloom. So, if you are jetting off to some exotic destination, please do bring me back a souvenir, perhaps just a photograph, and remember this wherever you go:
Take nothing but photographs,
Leave nothing but footprints,
Kill nothing but time.
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