What CITES has achieved over the years

Roughly 5,000 species of animals and 28,000 species of plants are protected by CITES against over-exploitation through international trade.

They are listed in the three CITES Appendices.

The species are grouped in the Appendices according to how threatened they are by international trade.

They include some whole groups, such as primates, cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), sea turtles, parrots, corals, cacti and orchids.

But in some cases only a subspecies or geographically separate population of a species (for example the population of just one country) is listed.

Over the years, CITES has arguably helped to protect the following species:

• Elephants
• Rhinos
• Sharks
• Tigers