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)

Muslim children play sack race during Eid-al-Fitr celebration in Taguig city, south of Manila July 18, 2015. (Photo by Romeo Ranoco/Reuters)

A man prepares cookies at a small traditional factory for the Eid al-Adha, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Kabul, Afghanistan on July 29, 2020. (Photo by Mohammad Ismail/Reuters)

A model wears a face mask to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, designed by Iraqi designer Ziad Tariq at his workshop in Basra, Iraq, Monday, July 20, 2020. (Photo by Nabil al-Jurani/AP Photo)

A Palestinian man uses a sling, during clashes with Israeli forces following the killing of Palestinian assailant Uday Al-Tamimi, in Bethlehem, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on October 20, 2022. (Photo by Mussa Qawasma/Reuters)

Families visit Clifton beach to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holidays, marking the end of the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, April 23, 2023. (Photo by Fareed Khan/AP Photo)

A girl practices martial arts during a training at a school in Syrian opposition-held village of al-Jeineh, Syria on April 11, 2021. (Photo by Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)

A Muslim faithful celebrates during the Eid al-Fitr festival, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, in Kaduna, Nigeria on April 10, 2024. (Photo by Marvellous Durowaiye/Reuters)