Thailand's main airport is identified as a significant transit hub for the illegal trafficking of wild animals, fueling India's escalating exotic pet craze. Social media platforms in India contribute to this trend, where "cuteness has become a commodity," with users sharing advice on raising animals like lemurs and iguanas. Authorities are concerned about this organized crime, highlighted by recent smuggling attempts.

In India, cuddly and colourful animals are paraded across Instagram, Facebook and YouTube channels, where free advice is shared on how to raise a lemur – or what to feed an iguana – in congested megacities far from forest habitats. Cuteness has become a commodity in Asia’s social media world, with Thailand’s main airport emerging as a reluctant hub for wild animal smuggling. On Wednesday, a 19-year-old passenger bound for Taipei tried to evade security at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport with...