How illegal wildlife poaching actually works, according to an undercover investigator

Allison Skidmore, a wildlife criminologist and National Geographic Explorer, has gone undercover in Russia, Malaysia, and the Horn of Africa to expose poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. Her research began in 2016 when she took on the role of an anti-poaching ranger in South Africa's Kruger National Park. As part of her doctoral research, Skidmore immersed herself within remote hunting communities in Russia's Far East to track local poaching rings.

According to Skidmore, traffickers exploit vulnerable transit hubs to facilitate the illegal wildlife trade. She explains that these hubs serve as checkpoints where poachers unload their illegal wildlife before transporting it further. Skidmore also sheds light on how traffickers use corruption to cover their tracks. She observes that local officials often turn a blind eye to poaching and trafficking activities in exchange for bribes.

In 2020, Skidmore published her findings in several academic research articles following her research in Russia. She is the founder of Leave Them Wild, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting wildlife, and a visiting professor at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. Skidmore's work provides valuable insight into the mechanics of wildlife trafficking, helping to expose the illegal activities that threaten endangered species around the world.