Counter Wildlife Trafficking Newsletter
January 2021
News Scan (January 1-31)
Digapahandi forest officials seize 175 kg of tension, deer hide from auto-rickshaw | 1 January 2021
Forest officials of Digapahandi division have arrested the owner of an auto-rickshaw after venison weighing 175 kg and its hide was found inside the vehicle.
Read more
Three poachers held in Bhitarkanika | 3 January 2021
Forest officials are on high alert in Bhitarkanika National Park and its neighbouring areas to thwart poaching of spotted deer, wild boars and migratory birds after three poachers were arrested for killing a wild boar in the mangrove forests of Gahirmatha.
Read more
300kg of sea cucumbers seized in Tuticorin | 5 January 2021
The Thalamuthunagar police in Tuticorin seized 300 kg sea cucumbers and picked up a man for questioning. While patrolling the police spotted a mini goods carrier parked near a private godown at Lourthammalpuram. On checking the vehicle, they found sea cucumbers in eight cement bags.
Read more
Turtles in trucks | 7 January 2021
Police seized 3,396 Indian softshell turtles, apparently meant to be smuggled to Bangladesh, from two mini-trucks at two spots under the Barrackpore police commissionerate.
Read more
Leopard ensnared in deadly 'jaw-trap' saved in Maharashtra | 7 January 2021
A team of forest officers and wildlife activists managed to rescue a 3-year-old female leopard ensnared in a deadly 'jaw-trap' near Kuruli village in Pune district.
Read more
Four people arrested, sandalwood pellets seized | 8 January 2021
Police have arrested a four-member sandalwood smugglers gang and seized sandalwood pellets from their possession.
Read more
Elephant carcass with missing tusks found in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj | 8 January 2021
The carcass of a 25-year-old tusker, with missing tusks was found at a village in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, officials said. Forest officials suspect that the animal might have been poached for ivory. The animal appeared to have died more than a week before it was recovered.
Read more
Tiger body parts seized in Rajura range | 10 January 2021
Foresters of Rajura stumbled upon an old case of tiger poaching after recovery of canines, a nail and whiskers of the big cat from Nalfadi village. Sources in the department claimed that a person has been arrested in the case, while a team has been dispatched in the lookout for others involved in the poaching.
Read more
Cageful of bulbuls rescued from car on Durgapur Expressway | 11 January 2021
A team of forest officers and wildlife activists managed to rescue a 3-year-old female leopard ensnared in a deadly 'jaw-trap' near Kuruli village in Pune district.
Read more
Lakhimpur Police arrest one, seize Tokay gecko | 13 January 2021
Lakhimpur Police have arrested one person and seized a Tokay gecko from his possession at Nagaon Chariali under Bogeenadi police station.
Read More
Ivory Seized; Two Smugglers Arrested In Odisha | 14 January 2021
A Special Task Force (STF) team of the State Crime Branch today arrested two smugglers and seized two elephant tusks from their possession following a raid under Ainthapalli Police Station area in Sambalpur district.
Read more
Leopard skins seized in Chhattisgarh’s Gariyaband, 2 arrested | 20 January 2021
With the seizure of two leopard skins from Gariyaband district, police claimed to have busted a gang of leopard skin smugglers, which has been active in the district for the last few years. Police have arrested two smugglers who belong to Kalahandi district of Odisha and are investigating the case further.
Read more
4kg pangolin scales seized at Matigara | 22 January 2021
The forest department arrested an Alipurduar resident and seized around 4kg of pangolin scales from him at Matigara.
Read more
Chhattisgarh police arrest man trying to sell tiger skin | 24 January 2021
Chhattisgarh police arrested a man who was trying to sell tiger skin in Dhamtari district. Police booked him under the relevant sections of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 in this connection and started investigation.
Read more
Pangolin poaching racket busted in Telangana's Kazipet, 8 nabbed | 25 January 2021
Authorities of Ramagundam police commissionerate busted an eight-member racket involving poaching of critically endangered pangolin in Kazipet. A live pangolin, three motorcycles, eight mobile phones, one newspaper and a knife were seized from their possession. One offender is still at large.
Read more
Bihar forest department recovers 155 skinned migratory birds from poacher | 25 January 2021
The Bihar forest department claimed to have arrested a notorious poacher with 155 skinned migratory birds in East Champaran district. The man was arrested from near the famous Sarottar lake in the district that is known as a ‘migratory birds paradise’.
Read more
Rich haul of red-sanders in Kadapa, inter-state smuggler nabbed | 31 January 2021
Kadapa police recovered a huge haul of red-sander logs and arrested twelve smugglers, including notorious inter-state criminal S. Fakruddin, who hails from Khadarpalli in Chapadu mandal with a criminal background in red-sanders smuggling.
Read more
Check out CWT program on our website
Have queries on Illegal Wildlife Trafficking?
Contact cwt@wcsindia.org
Infographic: Jessica Luis