Tarantulas, trafficking and tourism: Exploring the illicit wildlife trade

Each fall, thousands of Oklahoma brown tarantulas emerge from their burrows in southern Colorado and set off on a remarkable journey known as the "mate-gration." But in recent years, visitors and researchers have noticed something troubling: there are fewer spiders making the trek. 

Habitat loss, climate change and drought are putting pressure on tarantula populations across the state. At the same time, tarantulas and other wildlife are becoming targets in a global illegal trade that reaches far beyond Colorado. From brightly colored spiders sought by collectors to endangered species smuggled across continents, wildlife trafficking has become one of the world's largest illicit markets. 

In this episode of CSU's podcast The Audit, entomologist Maia Holmes, along with John Macdonald and Rowan Hilend from the College of Business, will discuss Colorado's tarantulas, the surprising and strange ways wildlife is trafficked around the world, and what researchers, communities, consumers and law enforcement can do to help protect vulnerable species before they disappear for good.