Hong Kong has become the epicentre of the world’s growing live exotic pet trade, an environmental group has warned, with about 13,400 animals imported daily as dealers take advantage of the city’s freewheeling economy to smuggle in rare species.

The ADM Capital Foundation (ADMCF) on Wednesday revealed in a report that such illegal trade in Hong Kong had ratcheted up risks of species extinction and contributed to “extreme” pressure on hundreds of species worldwide.