26th July, 2017


Poaching and wildlife crimes have increased 52 per cent in India even though the environment ministry claims otherwise

On March 27, 2017, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change informed the Parliament that poaching in India has not increased in recent years, a claim that is far from truth. Replying to the question whether poaching of wild animals is on the rise in recent years, the ministry said, “As informed by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, the data provided by the State enforcement agencies to Bureau does not indicate such trend.”

But a recent book titled “State of India’s Environment 2017: In Figures” suggests a worrying 52 per cent increase in poaching and wildlife crimes between 2014 and 2016. Over 30,382 wildlife crimes and mortality have been recorded till December 31, 2016, says the book by non-profit Centre for Science and Environment, which has sourced the information from the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI). Even the number of species that are poached or illegally traded in the country increased from 400 in 2014 to 465 in 2016.

No wonder, both the country’s national animal and bird are at high risk. In 2016, 50 tigers were poached, which is the highest in the past decade. Meanwhile, 340 peacocks were killed because of poaching between 2015 and 2016, which 193 per cent higher than that of 2014. Blackbuck, blue bull, chinkara, elephant, leopard, rhinoceros, spotted deer, and the wild boar are also highly threatened, as the annual book.

Read full story here