Environmental cops arrested seven dealers and rescued hundreds of animals in a weekend raid in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, part of a campaign underway to halt the massive illegal trade in tropical wildlife in the country. Four monkeys, 24 baby turtles, and 272 birds were seized at an outdoor public market and taken to the Rio Zoo for protection. Some 12 million animals are smuggled out of Brazil every year, generating annual revenues of about $1.5 billion for dealers, according to the National Network Against the Trafficking of Wild Animals. The city of Brasilia started training police to stop wildlife trafficking in October 1999, and the training program is now going nationwide.
