The dark web trades wildlife, but mostly for use as drugs
People and Nature May 3, 2023 Oliver Stringham, Jacob Maher, Charlotte Lassaline et al. 15 citations
The dark web hosts a specialized wildlife trade market where roughly 90% of advertisements involve recreational drugs. Over five years, 153 species appeared in about 600 advertisements per year. Most traded species are plants, but fungi and animals also appear. Psychedelic species dominate, with 45 species identified, including 19 species of Psilocybe fungi. The native ranges of drug plants cluster in Central and South America. A smaller portion of trade involves medicinal products, clothing, decoration, and pets. Current conservation and biosecurity risks from dark web wildlife trade appear low, but trade could increase if enforcement on e-commerce and social media reduces access for traders.