A calico sits in its enclosure and suns itself in Hessen, Germany on May 28, 2021. The Opel Zoo presents a walk-in Madagascar aviary for caltas and varis. The primate species is native to Madagascar and is threatened with extinction. (Photo by Andreas Arnold/dpa)

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)

Children carry firewood on their heads and walk homewards on the outskirts of Rae Bareli, India, Thursday, December 17, 2020. (Photo by Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP Photo)

A navy diver storms into the gallery during a military display at Singapore's 52nd National Day celebrations at Marina Bay in Singapore August 9, 2017. (Photo by Edgar Su/Reuters)

A screen grab from a police body camera video shows the pilot of a plane that crashed on railway tracks being rescued by Los Angeles Police Department officers moments before a train hit the aircraft in Los Angeles, California, U.S. January 9, 2022. (Photo by LAPD/Handout via Reuters)

A person dressed as a zombie mermaid poses for a photo as she interacts with patrons at the Haunted Hotel Takeover Halloween party at hotel Ziggy in West Hollywood, California, U.S., October 29, 2022. (Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

American media personality Courtney Stodden attends the Mercy For Animals 20th Anniversary Gala at The Shrine Auditorium on September 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Members of a newly-formed “Siberian Battalion” within the Ukrainian Armed Forces take part in a military training exercise outside Kyiv on October 24, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A newly formed “Siberian Battalion” as part of the International Legion within the Ukrainian Armed Forces is made up of Russians who have come to fight against their fellow citizens. They were a varied group-both ethnic Russians with long-standing opposition views and members of minority ethnic groups. (Photo by Genya Savilov/AFP Photo)