Thai children turn pet detectives

Youngsters were shown what can and cannot be traded

Around 500 Thai schoolchildren have been trained up to join in the fight against animal trafficking.

Wildlife groups toured nine schools to show children how to spot the illegal sale of endangered species, and gave them a hotline number to call.

Thailand is a major transit point for the global wildlife trade which rakes in up to $10bn annually.

WWF-Thailand said the public must be the "eyes and ears" in the government crackdown on illegal animal trade.

The training programme is being run by the Thai branches of international wildlife groups WWF and WildAid.

They showed the children how to identify species - from mammals such as bears and tigers, to fish, insects and plants - on the Thai market that are illegal.

The children were also given a wildlife telephone number to ring, which will activate police action.

Crackdown

It comes as the Thai authorities are cracking down on the problem. Anyone caught illegally trading rare species can face a maximum sentence of four years in prison and a 40,000 baht ($1,000) fine.

South China tigers are close to extinction

Last month, several live tigers, bears and orangutans, and the bodies of other animals, were found in a house in Thailand.

"The current government crackdown on illegal wildlife dealers is a welcome breath of fresh air for this country," said WildAid-Thailand president Kraisak Choonhavan.

"Now the public must get involved and help too."

"The more eyes and ears out there looking for illegal wildlife for sale, the more difficult it will be for illegal dealers to escape government enforcement efforts," said Dr Robert Mather, director of WWF-Thailand.