Editor's note: John D. Sutter is a columnist for CNN Opinion and creator of CNN's Change the List project. Follow him on Twitter,Facebook or Google+. E-mail him at ctl@cnn.com.
(CNN) -- The illegal trade in animals is emptying ecosystems and pushing rare species toward extinction. I know this is a topic you care deeply about, because 13,276 of you voted for me to cover wildlife trafficking as part of CNN's Change the List effort.
Those of you who didn't vote should get interested, too. The illegal trade in wildlife is valued at $19 billion per year, according to a 2013 report from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and it's known to finance the drug trade and illegal arms trade as well.
Plus, the trade is fodder for some amazing stories -- stories of desperate poachers, daring park rangers and bizarre little creatures in need of protection.