The World Wildlife Fund has reported that the less plentiful a species of turtle, the more money a pet dealer can charge for it. The more illegal it is to obtain and/or sell, the more lucrative.

I'd really like to expound here, but I'm not sure what to say. Is there anything left to say, really?

Really?

Here's a summary of this particular money making process, in case the idea is new to you (and in which case, good on you, you've never heard of drugs):

1. Outlaw the sale of an item
2. Sell the item
3. PROFIT!

Plenty Magazine's Extinction Blog has also picked up on this, and as the blog states, capitalism is alive and well. As I always state, hallelujah for that. But this isn't capitalism; this is illegal animal trade. These are individuals who have no empathy for animals, wildlife, our ecosystem. This is purely selfish illegal animal exploitation. And it's bad.

Hatch a leopard tortoise in your basement and sell it for as much as the market will bear, please! That's capitalism. I like expensive things. Fewer people own expensive things. But catch and sell a turtle listed on CITES Appendix I and you should not pass go nor collect $200; you should go directly to jail. Come on, people, we have laws for a reason. There are ways to get by that don't involve disrupting our ecosystem.