The trade in wild animals poached from the wild is an enormous problem and a very lucrative one that must be addressed if the planet is to have any hope of ensuring the survival of the wild for the future. Primates are taken for food the pet trade and entertainment. That a live african primate can fetch between 1 and 8 million on the international market gives some indication of the scale of the monetary gains made in the trade. It is estimated that as many as 150,000 primates are poached from Nigeria and Cameroon every year as bushmeat. It's a shocking statistic that can leave no doubt that these species are under extreme threat. 

There can be no doubt that the trade in wild animals is disasterous for the environment but it's a threat to human health too. The recent outbreak of coronavirus proves that without a doubt. How can centuries of cultural beliefs and ways of surviving be changed soon enough to save so many species of almost certain extinction is the question. It's in the hands of a younger more progressive generation with more awareness of the world around them, that they may reject the old traditional ways of their culture particularly in Asia. Young people who are connected to social media in a way never before exposed to information about the wild and it's creatures are I think our only hope that the demand may decrease. But it will take time that the wild animals don't have on their side. With human populations exploding around the globe what hope is there for nature.