“Wildlife traffickers exploit global transportation, threaten human health and security, and are driving some species to extinction.”

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is the busiest airport in East and Central Africa and is a target for wildlife trafficking, particularly ivory trade, according to ROUTES. It added that the Kenyan authorities are proactive in addressing wildlife smuggling at JKIA, often seizing illegal products at the airport.

“Wildlife trafficking is a transportation-intensive activity and smugglers carrying illegal wildlife and wildlife products need to interact with airport and airline staff at multiple points during the journey,” said Michelle Owen, ROUTES Lead.

She added: “Increasing the ability of staff to identify and report suspicious activities linked to wildlife trafficking is crucial for stopping traffickers that abuse the transport sector.”

The training in Nairobi was part of a series of training workshops that ROUTES will conduct for airport and airline staff this year at key wildlife trafficking hubs across Africa and Asia. ROUTES will hold training sessions in Uganda, Malawi, Ethiopia, and Malaysia.

ROUTES also delivered a training workshop in Maputo for cabin crew, ground handlers, cargo processors, and other regional airport staff who learned how to detect and stop smugglers carrying ivory, rhino horn, and other wildlife products out of Mozambique.