Global Leaders Approve Strong New Protections For Sloths, Primates, Reptiles & Songbirds At CoP20

Vital new protections for wild animals have been approved at the 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP20), where global leaders agreed to crack down on the escalating and destructive wildlife pet trade. Of the 51 proposals submitted, 12 focused on species increasingly trafficked and sold as pets, covering more than 80 animals, including reptiles, primates, songbirds, and sloths.

While CITES discussions have historically centered on animals killed for their parts, this year’s meeting highlighted an alarming surge in demand for live wild animals. Conservationists warn that the booming pet trade is pushing many species toward extinction and devastating already fragile populations.

At CoP20, governments approved 10 proposals to strengthen protections, rejected one attempt to increase protections, and rejected the sole proposal that sought to weaken them, marking a strong win for wildlife. New safeguards include Appendix II protections for Linnaeus’ and Hoffman’s sloths, and Appendix I protections for the golden-bellied mangabey, several songbirds, the Hispañolan giant galliwasp, and multiple threatened reptiles. Galápagos marine and land iguanas were also uplisted to Appendix I, granting them the highest level of protection. Only one group, South American tarantulas, failed to secure the protections proposed.

“The international wildlife trade has shifted in recent years—from animals wanted dead to animals wanted alive,” said Matt Collis, senior director of policy for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). “The growing demand for wild animals as pets is driving their decline in the wild. But these new protections will mean the net will be closing in on wildlife traffickers that exploit legal loopholes. Once a species becomes a popular or viral ‘exotic’ pet—its survival is at risk. This is often driven by social media.”

“Organized traffickers steal wildlife and ship them to buyers who can purchase these animals with the click of a button,” Collis added.” This fuels a dangerous trajectory toward extinction. For the animals taken, many will either die before reaching their end destination or, if they survive, will endure a life of misery in captivity.”

The decisions come amid rising concern over both legal and illegal international trade targeting rare species. Conservationists from IFAW have been working closely with governments, advising on the accelerating threats posed by wildlife trafficking and the loopholes that allow it to persist.

Many endemic species are increasingly appearing in foreign pet markets despite being strictly protected in their home countries. Galapagos iguanas are one striking example. Ecuador prohibits all commercial export of these animals, yet they are being sold in markets across Europe. Traffickers are laundering wild-caught iguanas by falsely declaring them as captive-bred, enabling their offspring to receive CITES permits without proper verification.

This exploitation of regulatory gaps shows how the legal trade system is being abused, allowing trafficked animals and their offspring to enter the global market under the guise of legitimacy. Conservationists warn that without stronger international enforcement, species already on the brink will continue to disappear.

CITES CoP20 opened in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on November 24th and runs through December 5th. All decisions must be endorsed at the final plenary session and will take effect 90 days after the conference concludes.