(August 19, 2024) The following content is collected from public information and does not represent the views of WCS-India.   Fifty-six illegal wildlife trade incidents from various regions across the country have been collected using open-source intelligence (OSINT). The highest number of wildlife seizure incidents were reported from the states of Odisha (12), Maharashtra (8), and Tamil Nadu (8). Some of the commonly reported wildlife species in seizures were Asian Elephant, Leopard, Tiger, Parakeets, Mu...

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(January 05, 2024) India gears to use eDNA to identify, track wildlife | Mongabay The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) is pioneering the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) technology to assess biodiversity, offering a promising tool for measuring wildlife, studying flora and fauna, and identifying hard-to-find species. This innovative approach also holds potential for providing crucial data on invasive alien species in India, with ZSI initiating a pilot project to explore the applications of eDNA in wildlife monit...

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(May 15, 2023) Understanding the role of local communities in the conservation of critically endangered rhino rays | Mongabay  A recent study by scientists from Ashoka University and the University of Oxford published in January this year examines the socio-ecological status of rhino rays using local ecological knowledge (LEK) of fishing communities in the coastal state of Goa. Guitarfish and wedge fish make up 17 species of rhino rays, of which 15 are critically endangered. However, these are not prot...

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(August 30, 2019) The Counter Wildlife Trafficking Team of WCS-India held a discussion with the staff regarding Best Practices to be followed when a wildlife offence is detected. Mridula Vijairaghavan, WCS-India's Legal Advisor spoke to the staff about importance of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and on how to aid enforcement in taking action against wildlife offenders.She spoke about the course of action WCS-India staff should take when they come across a wildlife offence. This may be by providing detailed...

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