Illegal wildlife trade threatens species at Unesco sites, says WWF

Conservation charity warns that almost half of world heritage sites designated for importance to nature are at risk

Almost half of the Unesco world heritage sites designated for their importance to nature are threatened by the illegal wildlife trade, a WWF report has said.

Poaching, illegal logging and fishing, and the trafficking of rare species are plaguing 45% of the world's most precious natural areas, the report from the conservation charity said.