Raid to Rescue Freshwater Turtles, Malda, West Bengal

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On 12th April 2022, members of the Human & Environment Alliance League (HEAL), led by Jayanta Chakraborty got a turtle dealer arrested in a joint covert operation with the Forest Department at Malda, West Bengal. The operation began with a tip-off by local informers about a trade happening in the Gazole area in Malda. On 10th April 2022, our volunteers posing as buyers interacted with the turtle trader and confirmed his whereabouts.

12 Indian flapshell turtles (Lissemys punctata) and 5 … Read More

Illegal Wildlife Trade Amidst the Biggest Animal Fair of Asia – The Sonepur Animal Mela in Bihar

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Background

The Sonepur Cattle Fair, aka the Harihar Kshetra Mela, the biggest cattle fair of Asia is rooted in Hindu mythology. Based on a sacred legend in Hinduism – Gajendra Moksha (The Liberation of Gajendra), folklore has it that Lord Vishnu descended upon earth to protect Gajendra, (the elephant) from the clutches of Makara, (the crocodile) and awarded him Moksha (salvation).

An official survey of the Sonepur Cattle Fair, led by TRAFFIC in November-December of 2013, unveiled … Read More

Stemming illegal trade vital to saving the world’s wildlife, says TRAFFIC

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Media Release | 12 February 2014, New Delhi

The London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade that takes place from 12-13 February, is an opportunity for governments to commit to finally ending the illegal trade in elephants, rhinos, tigers and other endangered wildlife species whose very survival is in crisis due to rampant poaching for illegal trade.

The event is being hosted by UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague. The Prince of Wales and his son HRH … Read More

South Asia’s First Integrated Wildlife Law Enforcement Strategy to be Developed in India — TRAFFIC

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TRAFFIC India, in conjunction with CBI and INTERPOL, is conducting a major wildlife law enforcement training in India next week. Officials from eleven countries are attending. See official press release below:

New Delhi: Senior delegates from various enforcement and intelligence agencies of the eight South Asian countries plus China, Russia, and Myanmar will meet next week to develop a cross cutting operational strategy to curb the growing menace of illegal wildlife trade in the region.

The Integrated Investigative Capacity Development … Read More

TRAFFIC’s latest study “Illuminating the Blind Spot”: A study on illegal trade in Leopard parts in India

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New Delhi, India, 28th September 2012 — At least four Leopards have been poached and their body parts entered into illegal wildlife trade every week for at least 10 years in India, according to TRAFFIC’s latest study “Illuminating the Blind Spot: A study on illegal trade in Leopard parts in India” launched today by Dr Divyabhanusinh Chavda, President, WWF-India.

The study documents a total of 420 seizures of Leopard skins, bones and other body parts reported from 209 localities in … Read More

TRAFFIC Post, March 2012

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Greetings from TRAFFIC India. We are happy to share with you the 14th issue of our newsletter on wildlife trade issues entitled TRAFFIC Post.

The key highlights of this issue are:

  1. Scorpions–stung by wildlife trade- INFOCUS
  2. Indian Rhinoceroses face poaching threat – WILD CRY
  3. TRAFFIC INDIA UPDATE:
  1. India and China share expertise on use of sniffer dogs for curbing wildlife crime; TRAFFIC India’s sniffer dog programme leading to early successes
  2. TRAFFIC accelerates efforts to curb illegal parrot trade in India
… Read More

TRAFFIC Post, November 2011

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TRAFFIC Post is TRAFFIC India’s quarterly newsletter on issues related to wildlife trade.

TRAFFIC is an international network, consisting of TRAFFIC International, based in Cambridge, UK with offices on five continents, seven regional programmes in 25 countries and territories, with ongoing research and activities in several others. TRAFFIC came to India in 1991, operating as a division of WWF-India. It has since worked closely with the National and the State Governments and various agencies to help study monitor and influence … Read More

Corbett Records Highest Tiger Deaths on its 75th anniversary

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Corbett reserve and surrounding areas in Uttarakhand have recorded the highest tiger mortality rate this year. TRAFFIC India, a wildlife trade monitoring agency, has recorded 19 deaths in Corbett this year. Park management maintains that most of the deaths were natural. Observers are concerned that the high tourist numbers in Corbett are affecting tiger’s migratory habits and bringing them more into conflict with surrounding villages. According to the head of TRAFFIC India, the biggest threat faced by Corbett’s tigers is … Read More

TRAFFIC Post, July 2011

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TRAFFIC Post is TRAFFIC India’s quarterly newsletter on issues related to wildlife trade.

TRAFFIC is an international network, consisting of TRAFFIC International, based in Cambridge, UK with offices on five continents, seven regional programmes in 25 countries and territories, with ongoing research and activities in several others. TRAFFIC came to India in 1991, operating as a division of WWF-India. It has since worked closely with the National and the State Governments and various agencies to help study monitor and influence … Read More

TRAFFIC Post, March 2011

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TRAFFIC Post is TRAFFIC India’s quarterly newsletter on issues related to wildlife trade.

TRAFFIC is an international network, consisting of TRAFFIC International, based in Cambridge, UK with offices on five continents, seven regional programmes in 25 countries and territories, with ongoing research and activities in several others. TRAFFIC came to India in 1991, operating as a division of WWF-India. It has since worked closely with the National and the State Governments and various agencies to help study monitor and influence … Read More

No Two-bit Crime This

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Belinda Wright has been crunching some numbers: between 1994 and 2009, out of 691 cases of crimes against tigers filed in Indian courts, 10 cases have resulted in conviction of a total of 30 persons.

“Statistics are so important to get the bigger picture,” says the 57-year-old wildlife conservationist and executive director of Wildlife Protection Society of India or WPSI, an NGO.

Interpol estimates global illegal trade in wildlife products is worth around $20 billion. “It is significant that the

… Read More

Black Magic Behind Illegal Owl Trade in India

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New Delhi, India, 2nd November 2010 — Use of owls in black magic and sorcery driven by superstition, totems and taboos is one of the prime drivers of the covert owl trade, finds a TRAFFIC India investigation into the illegal trade, trapping and utilization of owls in India. TRAFFIC India’s report entitled “Imperilled Custodians of the Night” was launched today by Mr. Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Environment and Forests at his office in New Delhi.

Hunting of and trade in … Read More