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)

Racegoers during Ladies Day of the 2018 Cheltenham Festival in Cheltenham, England on March 14, 2018. (Photo by Graham Stone/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Protesters clash with police at Speakers Corner as thousands attend Unite For Freedom Against COVID-19 passports and vaccines in London, UK on April 24, 2021. People called online to a flash mob-style mass gathering against vaccine passport, face masks and lockdown. The government aims to provide official proof of vaccination for millions of British holidaymakers this summer starting as early as 17 May. (Photo by World Entertainment News Network)

Children sit near a mosque as they wait to break the fast during the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Palu, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia,on April 13, 2021. (Photo by Mohamad Hamzah/Antara Foto via Reuters)

An Afghan girl stand in the doorway of her home in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, March 29, 2021. (Photo by Rahmat Gul/AP Photo)

Pigeon fancier Yonisbel Santana poses for a photo at his rooftop in Havana, Cuba, May 18, 2021. Havana's pigeon keepers crane out of a window, intently watching the grey birds take flight. Mostly staying indoors due to the country's worst outbreak of COVID-19 since the coronavirus pandemic began in March last year, Cubans are increasingly breeding pigeons as a form of escape. (Photo by Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters)

Miley Cyrus performs onstage during the 2021 Music Midtown festival at Piedmont Park on September 19, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for MC)

Children jump over a puddle of water as they play during a rainstorm on a street in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, September 18, 2021. (Photo by Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo)