Plant Heist - Succulent Smuggling Documentary (SXSW Official selection)

Plant Heist - Succulent Smuggling Documentary (SXSW Official selection)

Thousands of Succulents, millions of dollars. a real world theft of highly prized plants that are worth BIG money.

In northern California, a Game Warden uncovers an illicit network of succulent poachers after mysterious packages containing native plants are reported, and with the help of citizens, biologists, and authorities, he races against time to halt the destruction before permanent damage is inflicted on the land. Winner of Emerald award Coronado Film Festival 2021 ✳️A note from the Filmmakers Hi there, it all began with reading a news article in The New Yorker describing the case and Officer Freeling's big break. We decided to call him up and ask to talk on camera about it, not really knowing where it would lead but understanding it was incredibly bizarre and interesting. We self-funded the whole project and are proud of what we were able to pull off with very little money. We're very grateful to have been accepted into prominent festivals like SXSW and Doc NYC. In documentary filmmaking, finding an audience that cares about the issues in your film is crucial, so festivals are huge. Please share the video; the more people who know that plant poaching is a real issue, the better! UPDATE⚠️: Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 223 by Assembly member Chris Ward (D - San Diego) into law, making it unlawful to sell, or possess with the intent to sell, any Dudleya illegally taken from its natural habitat on state lands. AB 223 makes it unlawful to sell or possess with the intent to sell any Dudleya illegally taken from its natural habitat and establishes minimum penalties of $5,000 per plant for the first offense, and $40,000 per plant for any subsequent offenses.

– – – It appears that there are so many Dudleya in cultivation now that the market for expensive poached and exported plants has collapsed 🙂 However, there is still plenty of poaching going on for other species of cacti and succulents. 🌵 Only take photos! and don't buy poached plants 🦊 Well, I should probably say that there are still probably some that will still want the "big wild plant" and pay big bucks for it. Definitely for other species... 😒

The Cactus Hunters with Jared D Margulies

Illegal trade in cacti and succulents is endangering many species.

🌵 Only take photos! and don't buy poached plants 🦊 

https://youtu.be/_HWRRWzFcko?si=Y5Aet0rSD3K409_M

Jane's Traffic Stop:The Fight to End Illegal Wildlife Trafficking | #JanesTrafficStop

People are selling and exchanging wild animal parts – including food, pets, leather, ornaments, “trophies,” or “medicine,” at a crisis level illegally and unsustainably. This is not a simple issue, but one filled with examples of the intense pressures of poverty, lack of training in enforcement, governmental corruption, and the careless demand for wildlife products by global consumers. Poachers, the pawns of a much larger international game of illegal trade, enter protected areas or target endangered species prized for their “parts” (worth hefty sums in black markets), armed with weapons like grenades and AK-47s to create devastation. They are markers of economic desperation, fueled by the prospect of payouts from buyers, kingpins and smugglers from domestic and foreign markets demanding those rare commodities or “trophies” like ivory, horns, skins, pets and meat. Defeating just individual poachers is not the answer, but part of a much larger puzzle of international trade and demand. And it is a problem which is only growing...

more: Jane's Traffic Stop:The Fight to End Illegal Wildlife Trafficking

janegoodall.org
facebook