Ricky Gervais begs Boris Johnson to end exotic pet trade

Ricky Gervais and Dame Judi Dench are among the celebrities who have signed an open letter pleading with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to end the exotic pet trade. 

After Life actor Ricky and Skyfall actress Dame Judi have teamed up with the World of Animal Protection and the Campaign to End Wildlife Trade (CEWT) to urge the prime minister to crackdown on the industry. 

Together, they say animals are being taken from the wild or farmed in cruel conditions to meet the consumer demand for exotic pets, traditional Chinese medicine and tourism. This demand is said to be a primary cause of the emergence and spread of diseases including Covid-19. 

Alesha Dixon, Leona Lewis, Sue Perkins, Evanna Lynch, Alison Steadman, Liz Bonnin, Simon Reeve, Paul O’Grady and Michaela Strachan are among the other stars to sign the petition. 

‘The demand for wild animals and wild animal products is a primary cause of the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases and a severe risk to world health. Covid-19, like other zoonotic infectious diseases including SARS, Ebola and MERS, is believed to have passed from wildlife to humans,’ the letter reads. 

‘With your global leadership, we must ensure a zoonotic pandemic like this never occurs again. Therefore, we are calling on you to lead the G20 to end the international trade in wild animals and wild animal products, asking global institutions and bodies to put in place mechanisms to develop, facilitate and implement this ban.’ 

According to the CEWT, the UK currently imports thousands of protected wild animals, including tortoises, pythons and monitor lizards, captured from the wild and legally imported into the UK each year. 

Reeve said: “This global pandemic has had a devastating impact on all our lives and tackling the source of the problem must be a priority.

‘Ending the exploitation of wildlife for use in the exotic pet, traditional medicine and entertainment industries will take us one huge step closer to safeguarding our health and the future of the natural world. 

The letter has also been signed by 24 NGOs including World Animal Protection, Compassion in World Farming, Four Paws UK and Cruelty Free International. 

Last month, Gervais spoke out in support of the NHS and said they deserved to be named in the Queen’s Honors List after fighting on the frontlines during the coronavirus pandemic. 

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