Peruvian city of Iquitos, a hotbed for wildlife trafficking in Amazon

Iquitos is a city of over 400,000 inhabitants located at the heart of the Peruvian Amazon and accessible only by boat or plane. In recent years, it has become a hotbed of wildlife trafficking in one of the world’s most biodiverse areas. More than 300 species in Peru are directly threatened by this trafficking. The Peruvian authorities confiscate almost 5,000 animals every year, while tracking down the sale and possession of wild animals – particularly at the Belen market in Iquitos. FRANCE 24's Guillaume Gosalbes and Florent A. Motey report, with Josh Vardey.

Peruvian city of Iquitos, a hotbed for wildlife trafficking in Amazon
Iquitos is a city of over 400,000 inhabitants located at the heart of the Peruvian Amazon and accessible only by boat or plane. In recent years, it has become a hotbed of wildlife trafficking in one of the world’s most biodiverse areas. More than 300 species in Peru are directly threatened by this trafficking. The Peruvian authorities confiscate almost 5,000 animals every year, while tracking down the sale and possession of wild animals – particularly at the Belen market in Iquitos. FRANCE 24's Guillaume Gosalbes and Florent A. Motey report, with Josh Vardey.