The lack of proper education can also lead to many committing illegal wildlife crimes unintentionally. For example, tourists commonly purchase souvenirs or trinkets at tourist attractions that contain parts of endangered wildlife. However, it is often the case that they lack knowledge of the product (i.e. what it contains) and/or that they do not know that it is illegal to bring such items back to their home countries without proper permits.

Moreover, while many find that exotic animals are interesting and cute to keep as pets, it is also a common problem that they do not understand why these animals are not suitable to keep as pets. The lack of practical knowledge about their needs and how to care for them has often led to negative consequences such as health complications and death.