Endangered Pangolins, Rhino Horn and Monkeys Sold Openly on Facebook, Investigation Finds

A dead pangolin stripped of its protective scales, rhino horn marketed for traditional medicine and endangered monkeys advertised as pets are among thousands of illegal wildlife products being openly sold across Facebook, according to fresh investigations that have renewed scrutiny of Meta's ability to police its platforms.

Conservation groups say the scale of the trade has reached alarming levels, accusing the social media giant of allowing traffickers to operate in plain sight while, in some cases, profiting from the engagement generated by those accounts. The findings add to growing concerns that online platforms have become the world's most effective marketplace for illegal wildlife trafficking.

Facebook Accused Of Hosting Vast Illegal Wildlife Market

The latest criticism follows a report released by conservation organisations, including Freeland, Education for Nature Vietnam, and the International Wildlife Trust, which alleges that Meta is hosting the world's 'largest single known illegal wildlife trade market'.

The report argues that Facebook's business model may unintentionally reward traffickers by allowing eligible creators to earn advertising revenue or subscription income from highly engaging content, even when that content features protected wildlife.

The allegations build on earlier research by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, which concluded that Facebook has become 'the central public infrastructure through which online wildlife trafficking is being concentrated, discovered and scaled'.

Meta declined to answer AFP's questions about the reports but pointed to company policies that prohibit the sale of endangered animals and wildlife products across its platforms.

Conservationists, however, argue that those rules are routinely ignored and too rarely enforced.

Pangolins, Rhino Horn And Protected Species Advertised Publicly

An AFP review found numerous public posts advertising protected wildlife for sale.

One of the most disturbing examples featured a dead pangolin lying on a weighing scale after its scales had been removed. The animal, regarded as the world's most trafficked mammal, was advertised by a Thailand-based Facebook account promoting what it described as 'seasonal wild delicacies'.

Other listings included chimpanzees marketed as exotic pets, rhino horn promoted for use in traditional medicine and monitor lizards offered for human consumption.

Some sellers attempted to disguise transactions by omitting prices and encouraging buyers to continue the conversation via private messages. Others were far more direct, openly displaying protected animals or animal parts on publicly accessible Facebook pages.

The investigations suggest wildlife traffickers are operating across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, while researchers also identified growing activity on TikTok and Snapchat, where disappearing posts make enforcement more difficult.

Researchers Say Illegal Listings Stay Online

Researchers from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime identified more than 20,000 online advertisements promoting over 260,000 wildlife products between April 2024 and March 2026, and nearly three-quarters of them appeared on Facebook.

Russell Gray, a data scientist and ecologist who co-authored the research, said many of the accounts remained active even after they had been reported directly to Meta.

'Even the unredacted accounts and groups we reported on publicly in the report are still live and active,' he told AFP.

Tom Taylor, chief operating officer of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, said his organisation has repeatedly alerted platforms to illegal wildlife sales without seeing meaningful action.

'I have not once received a response or seen any action taken,' Taylor said. 'Accounts that are openly breaking the law should be closed, and investigations into the criminal activities behind them should be launched.'

Independent wildlife trafficking investigator Daniel Stiles argued that social media algorithms may be worsening the problem by rewarding accounts that attract large audiences.

'This content monetisation that Facebook and Instagram push is actually incentivising people to commit illegal acts,' he said. 'The more interaction and engagement they get on their account, the more money they can make.'

Pressure Mounts On Meta To Act

The investigation also found that Facebook's recommendation system quickly directed users towards similar wildlife trafficking content after only limited interaction with public posts advertising illegal animal products.

That discovery raises broader questions about whether recommendation algorithms are unintentionally amplifying criminal marketplaces rather than disrupting them.

Meta recently joined 11 technology companies pledging renewed efforts to eliminate wildlife trafficking from their platforms. Yet critics note the company has belonged to the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online since 2018, while researchers say the illegal trade has continued to expand.

Steve Galster, founder of Freeland, warned that fresh commitments would mean little without measurable enforcement.

'Until Meta is compelled to rid its platforms of illegal wildlife trade, and prove that it is not profiting from it, the online wildlife trade will only get worse,' he said.

For conservationists, the issue has moved beyond isolated criminal listings. The latest investigations reveal a sophisticated online marketplace where endangered species can still be bought and sold with alarming ease, despite years of promises to stop it.