A dog sits in a plastic tub filled with water in Taipei, Taiwan, 28 July 2020. Betel nut seller Mr Luo, the dog's owner, said he puts his dog, a 12-year-old mixed breed called Ah Dai (Stupid), in a plastic tub filled with water whenever the weather gets hot. Ah Dai enjoys the bath and can sit in the basin for hours, according to Mr Luo. Luo has a dozen pairs of glasses for Ah Dai, so the dog wears different glasses every day and many tourists take photos of Ah Dai. (Photo by David Chang/EPA/EFE)

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)

Martina Maggio, Alice D'Amato, Lara Mori, Asia D'Amato, and Vanessa Ferrari of Team Italy pose in front of the rings during Women's Qualification on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 25, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

Natalie Geisenberger of Germany, Johannes Ludwig of Germany, Tobias Wendl of Germany and Tobias Arlt of Germany celebrate their teammates slide winning gold during the Luge Team Relay on day six of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Sliding Centre on February 10, 2022 in Yanqing, China. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

A girl in a military uniform poses for a photo after the see-off ceremony before the launch in Jiuquan, Gansu province, China, 25 April 2024. China's Shenzhou-18 manned spaceflight mission with three astronauts is the third manned spaceflight mission of China Space Station's development phase. The mission will last for about six months and the crew will carry out tasks such as installation, commissioning, maintenance, repair, and experiments in space. (Photo by Wu Hao/EPA/EFE)

France's Alize Cornet celebrates scoring a point in the first round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Italy's Roberta Vinci at the Roland Garros stadium, in Paris, France, Monday, May 25, 2015. (Photo by Christophe Ena/AP Photo)

Actress Rosario Dawson (“Men in Black II”, “25th Hour”, “Sin City”, “Death Proof”, “Eagle Eye”, “Alexander”, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”) walks the runway at the Fashion For Relief at Forville market during the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2011 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

A man shows his tattoos at the 7th Hong Kong China International Tattoo Convention in Hong Kong on August 25, 2023. (Photo by Isaac Lawrence/AFP Photo)