The cat's out of the bag: Examining US wildlife trade of felids from 2000 to 2020

Abstract

Felids are highly valued in the wildlife trade, but illegal and unsustainable legal trade can pose serious conservation threats. The United States is a major wildlife importer, yet its role in felid exploitation remains understudied. Using data from the US Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS), we analyzed felid imports from 2000 to 2020 and identified 39,942 entries, 8% of which were illegal. Trophies were the most common import type, but skins accounted for the greatest volume, dominated by bobcat and Canada lynx. Intercepted illegal trade consisted mainly of tiger- and leopard-derived medicinal products. Statistical analyses showed that product type (skins, medicinal products, and teeth) was associated with increased trade volumes, and that illegal trade volumes were significantly greater for threatened species. Live imports of felids have increased since 2012, largely due to demand for wild-domestic hybrid cats, posing potential conservation concerns for wild parent species. We recommend DNA testing at ports of entry to verify species identity and detect mislabeling of wild-sourced felids, reassessing heavily traded Least Concern felids to detect emerging threats, regulating hybrid cat breeding, and restricting commercial trade of captive-bred threatened felids. Integrating these trade insights into policy and enforcement can help safeguard felid populations.