Jharkhand: WCS-India will be conducting a capacity building workshop for the forest department staff in combatting wildlife trafficking in Jharkhand. We hope to further equip the department and support them in tackling the serious issue of wildlife trafficking.
Wildlife trade is the third most rampant illegal trade in the world, only after illegal trade in arms and narcotics. India is a prime source country for wildlife trade, and it is reported that in 2018 alone, 329 leopards and 78 tigers were poached. WCS-India has undertaken a project called Combating Wildlife Trafficking, which aims to facilitate inter-agency collaborations amongst enforcement agencies to combat wildlife trafficking and to conduct capacity building workshops for them.
To this end, we conduct capacity building workshops for various enforcement agencies including the Forest Department, Police, Customs, Directorate of Enforcement, public prosecutors and the judiciary. We are also imparting practical training for investigation and successful prosecution with the aim of improving conviction rates, which would in turn deter illegal wildlife trade.