Myanmar’s Illegal Wildlife trade to go on screen

Myanmar is most affected by wildlife poaching and trafficking. From last December to May alone, five elephants have been reported killed in the outskirt of Yangon, according to the forest department.

The problem is not new but still prevalent. To fight the plight, WWF had launched the Mo Mo campaign last year to raise awareness and protect the elephants.

However, although the campaign resonated in the heart of Yangonites, illegal trafficking still plagues Myanmar. This month, three cases of illegal wildlife trade were reported in Mandalay and Magway regions. Over there and on the Chinese border, illegal market boast skulls, tusks and skin of the rarest and most endangered species in the country – such as elephants, tigers and pangolins.

Doubling down on the effort to fight illegal wildlife trade, the union parliament passed the Protection of Biodiversity and Protected Areas Law last May which establishes mandatory prison sentences for poaching or trading of protected species.


Along with the new policy, the UK Government, and the Luang Prabang Film Festival in cooperation with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) launched a short film competition to raise awareness about illegal wildlife trade in Myanmar.


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