This is a story about a Bolivian conservationist, an ocelot and a failed attempt to get authorities to prosecute the seller of the illegally captured cat. The trafficking in question, to be sure, was minor and unsophisticated compared to some of the eye-popping animal-smuggling operations that take place in Bolivia. But Francesca Bernebei’s attempt to spotlight it demonstrated how tepid enforcement and societal indifference continue to compromise wildlife protection in Bolivia. Bernebei, vice president of a foundation that supports La Paz’s largest zoo, heard last month that a man was trying to sell an ocelot—a member of the endangered Leopardus pardalis species. So she arranged to meet him, posing as a buyer. For years, Barnebei has worked with animals and been shocked... [Log in to read more]