New poster to support the wildlife law enforcement efforts of government agencies
New Delhi: Exotic reptiles are in demand in India, as reflected by a series of seizures reported across the country. Trade in many of these is illegal and/or threatens their conservation in their native countries, potentially disrupting populations and the ecosystems they thrive in. Besides being a serious conservation concern, the trafficking of wildlife species runs a significant risk for zoonotic disease transmission.
Exotic reptiles are found in the wild outside India, and their trade in India is regulated under the amended Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (WPA, 1972), and CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Despite these legal regulations, exotic reptiles are smuggled into the country to supply the illegal pet trade.
WWF-India's newly released identification poster, "Exotic Reptiles in Illegal Wildlife Trade in India", aims to support enforcement agencies' efforts to detect and curb illicit exotic reptile trade in India. The poster enlists 10 commonly trafficked exotic reptiles listed in Appendix I or II of CITES and, therefore, listed under Schedule IV of the WPA, 1972. These include the Kenya sand boa, Argentine black and white tegu, yellow anaconda, green anaconda, northern white-lipped python, ball python, pied ball python, green iguana, blue-tongued skink, and bearded dragon.
In 2022, an analysis of open source data on trafficking and illegal trade of exotic reptiles in India by TRAFFIC and WWF-India revealed that lizards accounted for the highest number of individuals seized, over 835 individuals in the year. Snakes, meanwhile, were the most frequently reported group in seizure incidents, involving 157 animals, and more than half of which were pythons.
According to a TRAFFIC and WWF-India report, High Flying: Insight into Wildlife Trafficking through India's Airports, between 2011 and 2020, enforcement agencies documented the trafficking of more than 70,000 native and exotic wild animals at 18 Indian airports during this period, and reptiles made up 46% of all cases, underscoring their heightened vulnerability to the illicit wildlife trade.
Dr Dipankar Ghose, Senior Director-Biodiversity Conservation, WWF-India, said, "The new identification poster, "Exotic Reptiles in Illegal Wildlife Trade in India", aims to bridge any knowledge gaps related to identifying commonly traded exotic reptiles in the illegal wildlife trade in India. It also helps create awareness among individuals interested in keeping exotic reptiles as pets, as it highlights the conservation concerns, legal status of the species, and the risk of zoonotic diseases from exposure. We hope this will help strengthen wildlife law enforcement efforts and discourage people from purchasing threatened wildlife or violating national and international legislation".
The poster will be widely circulated among forest departments, Border Security Forces, customs, Wildlife Trade Control Bureau, Railway Protection Force and other enforcement agencies to help detect and curb the trafficking of exotic reptiles across India and help in supporting the efforts toward biodiversity conservation.
For a high-resolution printable copy of the poster, please contact mgusain@wwfindia.net
