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)

A woman looks out from her stall selling traditional garments and textiles at a market in Ashgabat February 8, 2012. (Photo by Aman Mehinli/Reuters)

A hooded protester throws a petrol bomb to riot policemen during clashes, following a rally marking the 43rd anniversary of a 1973 student uprising against the military dictatorship that was ruling Greece, in Athens, Greece, November 17, 2016. (Photo by Yannis Behrakis/Reuters)

A supporter of the Houthi movement attends a rally marking the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed, in Sanaa, Yemen December 11, 2016. (Photo by Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)

A group of fashionable nonagenarians pose for a photo in Pengzhou, Sichuan, China on October 12, 2016. (Photo by Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A gull gives its familiar cry on the roof of a beach bar on the Baltic coast on July 16, 2024. (Photo by Jens Büttner/dpa)

Dallas Cowboys cheerleader performs during the game against the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on October 13, 2024. (Photo by Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters)

Lenticular cloud and zebra. (Photo by National Geographic)