Counter Wildlife Trafficking Newsletter
June 2022
In Focus
CITES is an international agreement between sovereign states aimed at ensuring that the international trade in specimens of wild plants and animals does not threaten their survival. The parties to the convention will decide through voting on the amendments to Appendices I and II at the Conference of Parties held once every two to three years. For the next COP meeting, COP19 which will be held in Panama City in November, 2022, India has proposed the following amendments for Appendices I and II:
- Nilssonia leithii (Leith's softshell turtle) - To uplist it from Appendix II into Appendix I.
- Cyrtodactylus jeyporensis (Jeypore Indian gecko) - To include it in Appendix II as it is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List
- Batagur kachuga (Red-crowned roofed turtle) - To uplist it from Appendix II into Appendix I.
If Nilssonia Leithii and Batagur Kachuga are put in Appendix I, then there will be an international prohibition in the trade of these species, except for non-commercial purposes or activities not detrimental to the survival of the species, and this would require authorization. Cyrtodactylus jeyporensis, if moved to Appendix II, will not have a ban on trading but would be subjected to stricter regulation of its trade.
Illegal wildlife trade in June 2022
Workshops
Inter-agency Workshop on “Combatting Marine Wildlife Trafficking”
WCS-India collaborated with the Mangrove Foundation to conduct an inter-agency workshop from 1st - 2nd June 2022 at the Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Centre, Mumbai. The two-day workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of frontline officers to combat the illegal trade of marine wildlife in India. The workshop content was designed and executed as a partnership between the Counter Wildlife Trafficking and Marine Programme of WCS-India.
Read more here.
Training on the Wildlife Offence Report (WLOR) generator “Sugava'' app
WCS-India is conducting ongoing training on the Wildlife Offence Report (WLOR) generator “Sugava'' app. So far, 138 Forest Department officials have been trained on utilising the app, during four training sessions held for the Maharashtra Forest Department. The app assists officers in identifying seized wildlife and in preparing the initial legal documentation, the WLOR, required in wildlife crime cases. During the sessions, officers appreciated the functionality of the app and suggested that it will be beneficial to their work in investigating wildlife crimes. Senior officers also urged officers in attendance to share the app with their colleagues from other divisions and districts.
News scan (1 to 30 June 2022)
Big Cats
Royal Bengal Tiger Carcass Recovered In Assam, Police Suspects Poaching | NDTV
A decomposed carcass of a Royal Bengal tiger was found in Assam's Sonitpur district. The carcass was dug out by the Forest Department in an area adjacent to the boundary of Orang National Park which has one of the highest numbers of Royal Bengal tigers in the country.
Read more here.
More on big cats
Another Leopard Electrocuted; 2nd Such Death In Satna In three Days | Times of India
Bengaluru police arrest rowdy sheeter trading leopard skin and ganja | IB Times
Three Arrested For Poisoning Tiger To Death In Koriya | Times of India
Three tiger poachers were arrested near Orang National Park | ANI
Leopard Rescued In Satkosia Forest | Times of India
Leopard-Skin Seized In Nabarangpur, One Arrested | OMMCOM News
बाघ के मूंछ के बाल सहित दो आरोपित गिरफ्तारभेजे गए जेल | Nai Dunia
कर रहे थे वाहन चेकिंग मिल गए चार तस्कर कोर्ट में पेश कर भेजा जेल | Nai Dunia
Birds
Great Indian Hornbill tortured and killed in Nagaland
A disturbing video posted on Instagram shows a few men in Nagaland torturing and killing a great Indian hornbill. According to media reports, the incident occurred in Bhandari Town of the Wokha district in Nagaland.
Read more here.
More on birds
नीम के पत्तों के बीच छिपाकर कर रहे थे तोतों की तस्करी, डेढ़ सौ तोतों के साथ तीन गिरफ्तार; सीज की गई बस | Live Hindustan
Elephant
Elephant carcass found in Satkosia sanctuary, three watchers arrested | The New Indian Express
In what might trigger claims of a big ivory smuggling racket running in the State, Forest department officials exhumed carcass of another jumbo from Jilinda range of Satkosia Wildlife Division and arrested three watchers in this connection.
Read more here.
More on elephants
STF Nabs Wildlife Criminal With Two Elephant Tusks In Angul | Pragativadi
Two Held With Elephant Tusk In Dudhwa | Times of India
Elephant Found Dead With Bullet Injuries | Times of India
Marine
Three Arrested With 11kg Ambergris In Madurai; Probe On | Times of India
Madhurai Forest Officials seized 11kg of ambergris from a house at Madhurai. Three people have been arrested for possessing the ambergris and further investigation is underway to find out from where they smuggled such a rare substance.
Read more here.
More on marine
ராமநாதபுரம் அருகே ரூ.6 லட்சம் மதிப்பிலான 75 கிலோ கடல் அட்டை பறிமுதல் | News18 Tamil
Pangolin
Endangered pangolin rescued | Nagaland Post
An endangered Chinese pangolin which was recused by Chanwang Konyak, a resident of Satakha town was handed over to Tizu Valley Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Network (TVBCLN) and released at Sukhai Community Conservation Area (CCA)
Read more here.
More on pangolin
Indo-China pangolin smuggling racket: Madhya Pradesh forest department makes 189th arrest from Odisha | Times of India
STF apprehends two wildlife criminals | UNI
STF apprehends a wildlife criminal, a live pangolin seized from his possession | UNI
Dehradun Crime: सल्लू सांप के आठ किलो कवच और अंग के साथ दो तस्कर गिरफ्तार, मुकदमा दर्ज | Jagran
Red sandalwood
Red sanders seized in Chittoor; two from T.N. held | The Hindu
The Chittoor police arrested two suspected red sanders smuggling operatives from Tamil Nadu and seized about two tonnes of logs in the international market, at Cherlopalle Cross on the Chittoor-Bengaluru NH.
Read more here.
More on red sandalwood
Red sanders smuggling racket busted, 559 kg of wood seized | The Hindu
Forest staff bust red sanders smuggling racket; arrest seven persons | Mangalore Today
Five Red Sanders Smugglers Held | Times of India
Task force sleuths seize 29 red sanders logs | Times of India
Reptiles
Ayurvedic medicine trader held with copulatory organs of monitor lizard
Nagpur forest division officials have arrested a city ayurvedic medicine trader for possessing 18 'hatha jodi' (dried copulatory organs of monitor lizards), 11 sea fans and four sandfish skinks.
Read more here.
Rhino
Two arrested for smuggling rhino horn | ANI
Police arrested two smugglers and recovered a rhino horn weighing about 1.158 kg from their possession in the Titabor area of Assam's Jorhat district.
Read more here.
More on rhino
Assam Police arrests one from Arunachal for rhino poaching | Northeast Now
Tortoise and freshwater turtles
648 smuggled tortoises rescued in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitaramaraju district | The New Indian Express
Forest officials in the Chintur area of Alluri Sitaramaraju district rescued 648 tortoises that were smuggled into Andhra Pradesh from Odisha.
Read more here.
More on tortoise and freshwater turtles
Two Wildlife Smugglers Held In Nabarangpur, 52 Turtles Seized | Pragativadi
Two held for smuggling 103 turtles | The Millenium Post
Two arrested for illegally trafficking wildlife | The Himalayan Times
कछुओं की चोरी करती पकड़ी गई महिलाएं, तस्करी से जोड़ कर पुलिस कर रही हैं जांच | Patrika
Ungulates
SSB arrested two smugglers of Jharkhand with deer horns | Jagran
SSB jawans have arrested two smugglers with the antlers of the deer being smuggled.
Read more here.
More on ungulates
Two taxidermists sent to jail for killing a spotted deer, raw venison, hide seized | UNI
नील गाय का शिकार कर मांस बेचने जा रहे तस्करों का हुआ पुलिस से सामना, जानिए फिर क्या हुआ | Navbharat Times
छत्तीसगढ़ में थम नहीं रहा वन्यप्राणियों का शिकार, गरियाबंद में 3 शिकारी गिरफ्तार, घर में मिले चीतल की खाल और भालू के अंग | Live Hindustan
Other
लंगूरी बंदरों का सौदा करने वाले दो तस्कर गिरफ्तार, खोपड़ी का तंत्र- मंत्र में होता है इस्तेमाल | News18 Hindi
Three drunk youths kill monkey by throwing stones; arrested | Times Now
Bear electrocuted to death as poachers lay trap for wild boar in Odisha's Boudh district | Kalinga Tv
Illegal timber seized in Ukhrul district | East Mojo
Sandalwood seized in Latur | The Print
Man arrested for fishing rare Barca snakehead in Orang National Park | Northeast Now
Forest Officials In Tamil Nadu Have Arrested An Illegal Wildlife Trader | The Hans India
Two govt staffers among four held for attempting to hunt wild animals; rifle, bullets seized | Firstpost
Illegal wildlife trade outside India
Bangladesh arrests suspect believed to have killed 70 tigers | Aljazeera
Two arrested for illegally trafficking wildlife | Nepal News
2 arrested with live tortoise | Nepal News
Thai man arrested for electrocuting three elephants | Al Arabiya English | Al Arabiya
109 live animals found in women's luggage in massive airport wildlife trafficking bust | The Jerusalem Post
Dogged by an uncanny problem | The Kathmandu Post
Bid to smuggle Leopard Gecko Lizards to China foiled | The News
नेपाल पुलिस ने वीरगंज व काठमांडू में बरामद किया 123 पीस दुर्लभ कछुवा,तीन गिरफ्तार! | VOR News
Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve sees decline in blue sheep population | The Kathmandu Post
Cops bust errant trade in Hill Swallows' nests | Daily News
Smuggling of Exotic and Endangered Species From Myanmar Increasing | The Diplomat
Vietnamese police net biggest bear bile haul | Times of India
Two held for smuggling gecko leopard lizard | The Express Tribune
Infographics:
CITES by Radha Pennathur
Illegal Wildlife Trade in May 2022 by the CWT team
Check out the Counter Wildlife Trafficking programme on our website
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