Africa: Lucrative, rare species need trade protections, says WWF

Booming global trade in rare forms of wildlife ranging from tropical fish and trees to African lizards is threatening many of them with extinction, conservation group WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) said last Thursday. The Swiss-based body urged governments at a global conference next month to agree to restrict trade in obscure species, which have a high market value as culinary delicacies, aphrodisiacs, or pets.