(January 31, 2022) Wildlife Conservation Society-India (WCS-India) works towards the conservation of wildlife and wild places through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. WCS-India’s Counter Wildlife Trafficking (CWT) Program aims to assist government agencies by providing access to information, skills, technology, and expert support to tackle wildlife crime in India.  Illegal wildlife trade is recognised as a serious transnational crime with an overall turno...

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(January 27, 2022) Jivan, a six-year-old male leopard that was radio-collared in Mumbai on 24 January 2022, is the latest of four individuals paving the path for understanding human-leopard interactions in the urban landscape.  The leopard was named 'Jivan' to honour the memory of Jivanayakam Cyril Daniel or J. C. Daniel who studied the leopards of Mumbai in the 1970s and 80s. His book titled, 'The Leopard in India', published in 1996, was among the first to collate anecdotes, st...

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(January 24, 2022) Counter Wildlife Trafficking Newsletter December 2021 Wildlife trade trivia     Illegal wildlife trade in December 2021     News scan (December 1 - 31) Big Cats Ten held for poaching leopard in Salekasa, chopping paws | Times of India It’s raining tiger and leopard skins and body parts in the region. In a raid on poachers, the Nagpur forest division officials arrested ten accused from Salekasa under Gondia forest division for h...

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(January 19, 2022) These are our preliminary comments and recommendations on the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 (hereafter referred to as the Draft Amendments) tabled before the Rajya Sabha recently to amend the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972 (hereafter referred to as the WLPA).  At the outset, the work that has gone into the Draft Amendments should be appreciated as it has resulted in addressing several concerns of the members of the conservation community in India. The following aspects are...

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(December 20, 2021) Counter Wildlife Trafficking Newsletter November 2021 Wildlife trade trivia   Illegal wildlife trade in November 2021   In Focus Click here to view the guide   Superstitious Beliefs – Another Source of Demand in India’s Illegal Wildlife Trade | The Wire Science In India, the demand for animal parts in superstitious rituals fuels poaching and illegal trade, and the illegal availability of these parts sustains the rituals...

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(November 09, 2021) Counter Wildlife Trafficking Newsletter October 2021 Wildlife trade trivia * Scientific names as mentioned in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972   Illegal wildlife trade in October 2021   News scan (October 1 - 31) Big cats Ensnared big cat dies in Eturunagaram forest, two held | 3 October 2021 A big cat, suspected to be a tiger, was caught in a snare set up by some hunters in the forest area of SS Tadwail Mandall in Mulugu district. The big ...

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(October 06, 2021) Counter Wildlife Trafficking Newsletter  September 2021  Illegal wildlife trade in September 2021  News scan (September 1 - 30)  Big Cats Tigress strangled by poachers in Madhya Pradesh's Bandhavgarh reserve forest | 1 September 2021 A tigress in the Bandhavgarh reserve forest in Madhya Pradesh’s Umaria district, very popular among tourists and locals, was killed by poachers who stuffed her body in a gunny bag and threw it in a well ins...

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(September 08, 2021)   Counter Wildlife Trafficking Newsletter Illegal Wildlife Trade in August 2021   In Focus   To commemorate World Photography Day on 19 August 2021, our Counter Wildlife Trafficking Programme held its Annual Photography Contest for all their trainee officers. Officers from different enforcement agencies across the country sent us their photographs. We had four categories to choose from based on the pictures received. They are Best Wildlife Photograph...

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(August 23, 2021) To commemorate World Photography Day on 19 August 2021, our Counter Wildlife Trafficking Programme held its Annual Photography Contest for all their trainee officers. Officers from different enforcement agencies across the country sent us their photographs.We had four categories to choose from based on the pictures received. They are: Best Wildlife Photograph 2021, Best Mobile-Camera Wildlife Photograph, Perfect Timing Photograph and Best Wildlife Macro Photograph.Below are the winners...

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(August 20, 2021) Today, we conducted a webinar on how effective journalism can help counter wildlife crime. Guest speakers Dr Ravikiran Govekar, CCF and Field Director, Pench Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra and Sahana Ghosh, Science Journalist, Contributing Editor, Mongabay-India, shared their experiences with different aspects of illegal wildlife trade. Uttara Mendiratta, Expert - Counter Wildlife Trafficking and Aristo Mendis, Lead Analyst at the Counter Wildlife Trafficking Programme of WCS-India spoke about ...

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