Buzz: Latest news on illegal wildlife trade in India

Elephant tusks seized in Dandeli forests, 28 February 2010: The Chikkodi police on Sunday arrested four persons and seized two tusks near a roadside dhaba on Chikkodi-Ankli Road. The police seized the tusks concealed in a gunny bag and arrested Arif Peersaab Sangoli (36), Piraz Balu Raut (32), Salim Mehboob Pathan (33) and Sadanand Jyotiba Manikar (32). For more information, please visit http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/02/stories/2010030250130300.htm

Another rhino killed in Kaziranga, 23 February 2010: Another full grown One-horned Rhinoceros was shot dead by poachers on 23 February 2010 at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, sixth such incident in the past one month, an official said. According to the park authorities, the incident occurred near Tenga forest camp at the Agartoli range of the wildlife park. Unlike the previous incidents, poachers this time managed to cut the horn and escaped unchallenged. For more information, please visit http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-58296.html

Lion poaching: Kingpin set free, 17 February 2010: The kingpin in lion poaching cases, Sarkaslal Saharesingh Parghi stood a free man a week ago, as the Gujarat High Court ordered to consider his two separate jail terms concurrently. He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment twice in two different cases in 2008, thus a six-year jail. But with the high court’s decision of treating his sentence concurrently, Parghi got only three years’ term, which ended earlier this m o n t h. Parghi and 19 others from Madhya Pradesh were nabbed in April 2007, after six lions were found killed in the Gir National Park and two in Bhavnagar. For more information, please visit http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIA/2010/02/17&PageLabel=4&EntityId=Ar00403&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T

Poachers nabbed with 40 tortoises in Uttar Pradesh, 10 February 2010: Two poachers have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli district with 40 tortoises in their possession. The two men were nabbed in Naseerabad town of Rae Bareli, some 80 km from Lucknow. Two of their aides, however, managed to escape with sacks containing nearly 50 other tortoises. For more details, please visit http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20100210/812/tnl-poachers-nabbed-with-40-tortoises-in.html 

Man held for trading in banned sea shells, 29 January 2010: A 50-year-old man allegedly involved in trading of prohibited conches and shells was arrested in north Delhi on Friday. Accused Yogender Shukla, a resident of Rohini Sector-14 in, was caught from Subzi Mandi area in north Delhi. A raid was conducted at Shukla's shop and more than 20 000 conches and shells of 12 endangered and rare species under the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, were seized from the shop. For more information, please visit http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Man-held-for-trading-in-banned-sea-shells/articleshow/5518529.cms 

Elephant killed, then eaten in Assam, 27 January 2010: On the same day when a rhino carcass was discovered in Kaziranga National Park, villagers of Murpholuni forest beat stumbled upon an elephant carcass in the Kaziranga Karbianglong Elephant Reserve which covers an area of 1881.51 sq km of which an estimated 596 sq km has been encroached. Poaching of elephants has rarely been reported. Elephant deaths were either due to speeding trains or vehicles and the phenomenon of man-elephant conflict which had engaged wild life experts. But the latest carcass indicates that the elephant is also the poachers' target. For more information, please visit http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/elephant_killed_then_eaten_in_assam.php

Rhino carcass without horn found in Kaziranga, 27 January 2010: A rhino carcass with its horn removed was found at Kaziranga National Park on 27 January 2010. The carcass of the male rhino was found near Mandi Chapori in Agratoli range of the Park and officials suspect that the animal was killed and its horn was removed the previous night by the poachers. For more information, please visit http://www.ptinews.com/news/486928_Rhino-carcass-without-horn-found-in-Kaziranga 

Tiger killed, eaten by villagers in Arunachal Pradesh, 25 January 2010: A full grown Royal Bengal Tiger was hunted down by villagers of Numuk in Arunachal Pradesh's West Siang district. Villagers gathered around the tiger after the kill. The meat was then consumed by the people but even more disturbing is the information of a possible wild life trade racket flourishing in that area. For more information, please visit http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/tiger_killed_eaten_by_villagers_in_arunachal_pradesh.php 

Poachers gouge out rhino horn in Orang National Park in Assam, 23 January 2010: 24: Poachers gouged out a rhino’s horn while it was still unconscious inside the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park on the night of 23 January 2010.The male rhino, which has survived the ordeal, is believed to have received at least three bullet injuries. This is the second such incident in Assam when poachers have gouged out horns from living rhinos. On January 19 last year, a rhino survived for over 48 hours after its horn was chopped off near Kaziranga National Park. For more information, please visit http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100125/jsp/northeast/story_12025299.jsp 

Two leopard skins seized in Himachal Pradesh, 23 January 2010: A 55-year-old man has been arrested in Himachal Pradesh for allegedly possessing two Leopard skins. Two skins of fully grown Leopards were seized from a poacher near Nahan in Sirmaur district. One of the skins is believed to be eight-feet-three-inch long and the other was seven-feet-one-inch. The leopard is a protected animal and possession of its skin is illegal. For more information, please visit http://www.topnews.in/law/two-leopard-skins-seized-himachal-24608 

Two held with animal skin, 20 January 2010: Two men were arrested with skins of leopard, a spotted deer and two crocodiles in Pannuganj area of Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh. Hardev Singh and Jhamman Gaur were also carrying two country made pistol and a carton full of cartridges. The accused revealed that the animals had been killed in Chhattisgarh forest area and they had come to UP to sell the skins. For more information, please visit http://www.indianexpress.com/news/in-brief/570466/0 

Man held with 40 endangered lizards, 11 January 2010: Delhi Police arrested a man and seized 40 monitor lizards alive from his possession in West Delhi on 11 January 2010. Officials said that the accused, Prabhu (48), was allegedly planning to sell the lizards, which were tied up and stuffed into seven gunny bags, to a client who failed to turn up. The poacher had tied the limbs of the lizards together to keep them immobile, the police said. For more information, please visit http://www.indianexpress.com/news/man-held-with-40-endangered-lizards/566779/0 

Five arrested in Punjab for trading in Red Sanders and protected corals, 22 December 2009: Contraband Red Sanders wood and rare Tubipora Musica corals were recovered from one export and two import containers at CFS in Ludhiana, Punjab and five people were arrested in this regard. In the export container, the documents declared the goods as pebbles, but on examination, 10.72 MTs of Red Sanders wood was found concealed with the layers of pebbles. The import consignment was found containing undeclared Organ Pipie Coral weighing about 4.803 MTs. For more information, please visit http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20091222/1410845.html

Poachers kill two rhinos in Kaziranga, 21 December 2009: Two endangered One-horned Rhinos were killed by poacher gangs at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, taking the toll of the giant pachyderms killed so far this year to 14. A wildlife official said the latest killings were reported from inside the sanctuary, 220 km east of Assam's main city of Guwahati. "The two rhinos were killed using automatic weapons in separate locations and their horns gouged out. It could be the same poacher gang involved in both the attacks," a park ranger told IANS. For more information, please visit http://www.hindustantimes.com/rssfeed/assam/Poachers-kill-two-rhinos-in-Kaziranga/Article1-489189.aspx

Two smugglers held with Leopard skins, 21 December 2009:  Two smugglers were arrested along with five Leopard skins and other animal parts in Haridwar. Somwari Lal and Jodh Singh, both residents of Uttarkashi district were arrested when following a tip-off at Chandichowk area. On checking their bags, five skins, teeth and bones of Leopards were recovered. The police said that the smugglers had purchased skins and other parts of Leopards from some Nepali citizens in Uttarkashi and had come to Haridwar to sell them to a person from New Delhi. For more information, please visit http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20091222/1416/tnl-two-smugglers-held-with-leopard-skin.html

Deer poaching racket busted in West Bengal, 13 December 2009: The high demand for deer meat at some select Kolkata hotels has led to deer poaching in the Sunderbans. This shocking revelation surfaced after the forest department arrested four poachers and busted a deer-poaching racket early on Sunday. Forest officials seized as many as 20 nylon traps the same traps used to entrap tigers and two deer antlers from the poachers. For more information, please visit http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Deer-poaching-racket-busted-4-held/articleshow/5334541.cms

Stringent penalty for wildlife crimes in the offing, 9 December 2009: A bill seeking to provide stringent penalty for wildlife crimes like in cases of money laundering and foreign exchange violation, would be introduced in the Budget Session of Parliament, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said today. Stressing on the need to make the law a deterrent for wildlife offenders, he said, "The amendments are being circulated. One of the main provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill is to steeply increase the fine, as the present penalty is laughable". For more information, please visit http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/stringent-penalty-for-wildlife-crimes-inoffing/80336/on

Tiger poacher convicted to 3 years rigorous imprisonment, 9 December 2009: A court in Khatima, Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand had sentenced notorious tiger poacher Birbal alias Totha Ram, a resident of Panipat to three years rigorous imprisonment and fine of rupess 10 000 in connection with the seizure of 12ft long tiger skin on August 2004. The staff of Terai East Forest Division, Uttarakhand with the assistance of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) had arrested bawariya poacher Totha Ram with a tiger skin from Banbasa in 2004. Closed inspection of the skin showed that animal was shot and 16 bullet marks were found on the skin. A case under Wildlife Protection Act 1972 was registered at Khatima range. For more information, please visit http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Tiger-poacher-convicted-to-3-years-rigorous-imprisonment/articleshow/5319092.cms

Shahtoosh shawls seized from Kashmir Government emporium, 5 December 2009: CBI has recovered three banned shahtoosh shawls from the Jammu and Kashmir Government emporium in New Delhi and arrested the manager of the shop. "Acting on a secret information, CBI raided the premises of a state government emporium and recovered three shahtoosh shawls from the possession of the manager of the emporium, who was later arrested," a CBI spokesperson said in a press release. For more information, please visit http://www.ptinews.com/news/409246_Shatoosh-shawls-seized-from-Kashmir-government-emporium

Elephant tusks seized in Kochi, 1 December 2009: The police arrested four persons for attempting to sell two ivory tusks weighing nearly 25 kg. On the basis of a tip-off to City Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham, Mr. Varghese and Mr. Raveendranath approached the accused under the guise of prospective buyers. A deal was struck at Rs.10 lakh before the accused were arrested near the Panampilly Nagar branch of the Union Bank. For more information, please visit http://www.hindu.com/2009/12/02/stories/2009120254350500.htm

Two held with Leopard skins in Uttar Pradesh, 15 November 2009: Two men have been arrested with two Leopard skins in Majhaula locality of Moradabad, about 250 km from Lucknow. They were allegedly involved in wildlife poaching and used to sell skins of wild animals in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The two have confessed that the Leopards were killed in a forest area of Uttarakhand. For more information, please visit http://trak.in/news/two-held-with-leopard-skins-in-uttar-pradesh/23965/ 

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