Targeting birds and foxes from the far-flung highlands of the Kurdistan Region as well as falcons from the southern plains, poachers and smugglers frequently take advantage of the nation’s lax regulations.
Iraq is still a major destination for the smuggling of exotic animals for the illicit market as well as the export of domestic species,
Even after adopting the Convention on the Protection of Animals in 2014, which attempts to limit the international wildlife trade.
The terrible event in Iraq follows a zookeeper who entered a lion’s cage to “impress his girlfriend” in December and was subsequently killed by the lions and eaten alive.
