Illegal Wildlife Trade—Leading Indian Wildlife Towards Extinction

Wildlife is the most valued gift provided by the Mother Nature, unfortunately, today, this priceless gift is being used as a commodity to trade, make money and satiate the vicious desires of the greedy people.

The rate of illegal wildlife trade in India is increasing by leaps and bounds. Considering this rate, the day is not far when India, the nation famous for boasting a rich wildlife, will become a land devoid of any wild being. Certainly, this is a heart trenching statement; the hard it is to read, the harder it is to write.

The Technically Advanced Trade

One of the biggest reasons behind the increasing illicit trade of wildlife is 'money'. This unethical trade makes a business of approx $10 billion every year (as per the World Wildlife Fund, WWF). This amount is more than sufficient to make the market lucrative for the poachers. In fact, the poachers are now thinking about new ways to expand their reach, and in the same, technology has become their biggest and best tool.

Recently, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) revealed that the illegal trading of exotic wild beings is now being done online. Like all other business, the cyber world gives a boost to the illegitimate trade of endangered fauna and flora species.

There are auction websites, where one can bid for the ivory jewelry, tiger skin, snake skin and so forth. Further, as we know that technology is meant to make the life easier, thus, it also makes monetary transactions fast and hassle-free for both the parties involved in the unlawful act.

The Main Products on This Black Market.

Different animal parts and plants that are traded in this illicit market are mentioned below:

• Mongoose Hairs

• Snake Skins

• Rhino Horn

• Medicinal Plants

• Tiger and Leopard Claws

• Elephant Tusks

• Deer Antlers

• Turtle Shells

• Bear Bile

• Caged birds like parakeets and mynas

It's Time to Take Control

Be it the Ranthambore forest or the vicinity of Jim Corbett National Park, every area that embraces wildlife needs proper measures for the protection of wildlife. In the absence of the concrete steps, the mighty tigers, elephants and all other beings of the wild world would only be seen in the books or movies. Therefore, it is high time to take some effective steps, or else wildlife will become a history of the future generation.

Steps Taken to Control Illegal Wildlife Trade

India already has some very stringent laws and regulations to fight poaching and illegal trade of the animals, and some of them are mentioned as follows.

• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 – trade of over 1800 species of fauna and flora is banned under this act.

• Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT) – This is a coalition agreement that protects the animals from trade and transports them to a safer place.

• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora, (CITES), 1976 – An international agreement that ensures the protection of the endangered species.

In addition to this, the government organizes various programs and campaigns to educate the people about the importance of wildlife. These campaigns also ask the people to avoid the use of the products made from the animal skin, fur and teeth.

Another effort made is stringent patrolling in all the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of India. The forest rangers have been provided with the latest equipments to combat the poaching activities. Moreover, equipments like video cameras and unmanned aircraft are making their way inside most of the national park.

The Last Note

There are so many laws regarding the protection of the wild beings, but certainly somewhere rounds the corner, there is a loophole in their execution. People have turned ignorant towards the importance of wildlife and this gives power to the black market traders. The government authorities alone cannot fight all these issues. The public needs to provide support, take a stand and unite hands to save the precious gift of the nature from the greedy in human desires.

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