Plain Language Summary: Motivation in Mexican people to buy wildlife.

By Francisco Amador-Cruz, Marielise Gutiérrez-Ibarra, José Miguel Jiménez Lara, Evangelina Camargo-Rivera, and O. Eric Ramírez-Bravo.

Read the full paper here.

Illegal wildlife trade is one of the most profitable activities in the world; however, it is a worldwide threat to biodiversity, being the primary driver the pet industry. This activity is more complex in countries with weak legal frameworks, like Mexico, where laws prohibit selling wild products. However, there is still a considerable amount of commerce, making the country both a source and consumer of wildlife. The above is mainly due to digital markets, which were more frequent during the COVID-19 pandemic. This document aims to understand people’s motivations for participating in the wildlife trade. We interviewed various sectors of the Mexican community (potential consumers, active consumers, and heavy consumers) to find out why people purchase wild species, mainly as pets. We also identified six potential steps to go from potential to heavy consumer. Our results have allowed us to conclude that 1) Facebook is the social media with the most wildlife content, and the parrots are the more frequently commercialized group. 2) most potential consumers were willing to purchase wildlife products if they were from certified legal sources. 3) Most participants were aware of the diverse impacts of the animal trade but were assuaged due to common knowledge that authorities do not investigate social media. 4) Heavy consumers believe that their actions are charitable. 5) Finally, social and/or financial motivations predominantly drive purchasers, elevating their prestige within their social groups. In that order, our study is a pioneering attempt to determine motivations to purchase wildlife in Mexico, which could be a basis for future regional studies.