Animal trafficking: Leboncoin is back publishing adverts from a wild cat skin seller
On Leboncoin, three adverts offering wild cat skins for sale have been put online like they are simple objects, even though they are borne from illegal trafficking. They have no place on this platform, which has once again turned a blind eye to animal trade and cannot even manage to follow their own rules. We are filing a complaint for these victims of poaching.
A few days ago, on the Leboncoin platform, a seller clearly acting under a pseudonym put three adverts online in the hope of selling wild cat skins. It is therefore possible for any buyer whatsoever to acquire a “rug”, stolen off an animal’s back, for no more than 10 or 20 euros. And all this in total peace.
Even though the victims of these acts belong to a triple-protected species. This far from stops traffickers: globally, the illegal trade of wild animals and their ‘derived products’ can reach up to some 20 billion euros per year. And France is included in this since it is one of the European Union countries where the majority of these exchanges are concentrated.
Leboncoin is complicit in animal trade
Did the company already forget about the statement that they published in September 2023, announcing that they would (finally!) ban the sale of these animals? We have to believe that they have… Behind the advert results, checks seem to still be non-existent.
At the end of 2023, with the help of our partner, the École du Chat Libre de Toulouse [Toulouse School for Stray Cats], who are also working with us in this new proceeding, we filed a complaint against Leboncoin for thousands of our companions being given away un-microchipped and sometimes even before the legal age. A completely illegal and irresponsible lack of checks, while thousands of animals continue to be slaughtered in pounds every year and rescue centres more and more desperately lack spaces.
We are referring to the legal system
For the animals who try their best to live far away from humans, we also condemn these failings that facilitate trafficking and allow poachers to do their trade off the back of their victims. And for the felines who have paid the price for these practices, we are filing a complaint against the seller.
To demand an end to the trade of living beings online, continue to write to the managing director of Boncoin by using their contact form or by sending them our template letter to the postal address shown on it.