A dramatic rise in owning exotic pets in China is fuelling global demand for threatened species. The growing trade in alligators, snakes, monkeys, crocodiles and spiders is directly linked to species loss in some of the world’s most threatened ecosystems. Here: A fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) is groomed in a pet store in central Beijing. Native to the Sahara in North Africa, the species became a popular pet after being depicted as a character in Disney’s 2016 animated movie Zootopia. Individuals can cost between $2,000–$3,000. (Photo by Sean Gallagher/The Guardian)

General Maurice Gamelin, General Officer commanding the French Armies, is on a four day visit to England. He went to the staff college at Minley and is seen inspecting an anti-tank gun at Aldershot, on June 7, 1939. (Photo by AP Photo)

In this August 24, 2018 photo, Changlair Aristide pauses for a portrait, wearing his protective clothing, including an old U.N. peacekeeper's jacket he found in the trash, before scavenging the Truitier landfill in the Cite Soleil slum of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Before 2004, Aristide recalled having enough money to splurge on shoes, T-shirts and pants, but this year he could not buy his kids anything new for the school year. “Life is like that, up and down”, Aristide said. “They'll go to school anyway, even if I have to sell my pig. I love them”. (Photo by Dieu Nalio Chery/AP Photo)

Mary Earps of England makes a save during an England Training Session at St George's Park on April 02, 2024 in Burton upon Trent, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/The FA via Getty Images)

A woman adjusts the mirror of a retro tram KTM-1 (1948-1950) during the street exhibition “Retro Tram Parade” as part of marking the 125th anniversary of the city tramway service in Moscow, Russia on 13 July 2024. (Photo by Yuri Kochetkov/EPA/EFE)

The waning moon sets behind leafless sumac trees on a crisp, clear morning, Thursday, December 15, 2016, in Portland, Maine. Much of the northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast will stay cold for the next couple of days as the arctic air remains stuck over the northern Appalachians, the National Weather Service said. (Photo by Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo)

An Iranian man sells colorful ropes at the Tehrans old Bazaar, the place where the main economy trades take place, in Tehran, Iran, 25 January 2016. Reports state that Iranian officials expected the Iranian economy to grow on an average of eight percent over the coming five years following the lifting of sanctions against Iran. (Photo by Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA)

General view of performance during the “Fuerza Bruta Wayra” show on February 28, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Xavi Torrent/Getty Images)