The international wildlife trade is directly responsible for the emergence and spread of pandemic disease, and according to a new report from World Animal Protection, many Canadians have participated in one way or another. “We’re maybe not as big a player as the U.S. and other countries,” said Melissa Matlow, campaign director of World Animal Protection Canada, “but for our population size, (we play) an important role, and I think many people would be shocked to know the level and volume of the wildlife trade.” The pandemic has heightened awareness of live animal markets in East and Southeast Asia where the COVID-19 virus is thought to have originated. But animals are exchanged globally by several industries closer to home, often without adequate oversight. According to the February report “Trading Animals and Diseases: Canada’s Role in the Global Commercial Wildlife Trade,” a staggering 320,081 animals were imported into Canada in 2019 alone, destined for zoos, use in traditional medicine and, in about 80 per cent of cases, pet stores.