Tigers, elephants, rhinos, bears, pangolins, turtles and tortoises, birds such as owls, parakeets, munias, and many other endangered wildlife species are adversely affected by the illegal wildlife trade in India and worldwide. The massive demand for wildlife species as exotic pets, food consumption, black magic, and their perceived medicinal value has placed them at significant risk, which also raises the danger of transmitting zoonotic diseases among human populations. Illegal wildlife trade is being dominated by organised criminal networks and is recognised as the fourth most extensive illicit transnational criminal activity globally, threatening the survival of many wildlife species.
TRAFFIC is a wildlife monitoring network and a strategic alliance of WWF and IUCN, which came into existence in 1976. In India, TRAFFIC operates as a programme division of WWF-India, working closely with national and state governments, and various other agencies to combat poaching and illegal wildlife trade in India.TRAFFIC is a wildlife monitoring network and a strategic alliance of WWF and IUCN, which came into existence in 1976.
In India, TRAFFIC operates as a programme division of WWF-India, working closely with national and state governments, and various other agencies to combat poaching and illegal wildlife trade in India.
Organised wildlife crime needs an organised response. Therefore, TRAFFIC helps to enhance wildlife law enforcement officers' knowledge and skills for curbing wildlife crime and introduces new anti-poaching tools and techniques.
TRAININGS CONDUCTED – 50+ OFFICIALS TRAINED – 2000+
TRAININGS CONDUCTED FOR: Forest departments, Police, Customs, Railways Protection Force (RPF), Border Security Forces (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Indian Army, Indian Coast Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Forest Academies, Judicial Academies, Judiciary, National Academy of Customs Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACEN), National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), and Postal Department.
India’s first wildlife sniffer dog training programme was launched by TRAFFIC and WWF-India in 2008. Since then, the trained wildlife sniffer dogs, popularly known as SUPER SNIFFERS have helped enforcement officials to detect and curb illegal wildlife trade across country.
WILDLIFE SNIFFER DOG SQUADS TRAINED – 74*
* One sniffer dog squad is one sniffer dog and two handlers.
WILDLIFE SNIFFER DOG SQUADS UNDER TRAINING: 13
TRAINING CENTERS – 3
WILDLIFE SEIZURES CONDUCTED – 350+
Deep Search Metal Detectors (DSMDs) help detect hidden and buried metal traps and snares used by wildlife poachers to trap wild animals. TRAFFIC encourages forest departments to use DSMDs during patrols to combat the snaring crisis.
DSMDs DISTRIBUTED – 68
STATES INCLUDING – 8 (TIGER RESERVES – 13 and PROTECTED AREAS – 7)
Through research and analysis of latest in wildlife trade in India in terms of species in focus, volume of trade, drivers, legal issues and other related factors, TRAFFIC influences actions to help protect wildlife species from over-exploitation by curbing illegal wildlife trade, and promoting sustainable wildlife trade that is not a threat to the conservation of nature.
The findings are communicated through factsheets, reports and other publications.
To highlight the threat to Red Sanders Pterocarpus santalinus from illegal wildlife trade, TRAFFIC and WWF-India have released a new factsheet.
02 Feb 2023 Read more »
Research by TRAFFIC and WWF-India highlights the scale of the threat that sea cucumbers, belonging to the class Holothuroidea, face due to ...
17 Nov 2022 Read more »
Every year, as India celebrates the festival of Diwali, owls suffer in large numbers as they become victims of illicit and superstitious beliefs and ...
18 Oct 2022 Read more »
Panchkula, Haryana: India's wildlife sniffer dog force trained under TRAFFIC and WWF-India's programme will soon get six recruits as a new group ...
13 Sep 2022 Read more »
India's orchids are under pressure from illicit harvesting and exploitation for illegal trade. Of the vast diversity of 1256 orchid species recorded ...
07 Sep 2022 Read more »
After assisting the Karnataka Forest Department in curbing wildlife crime for nearly seven years, Rana, a heroic wildlife sniffer dog, breathed his ...
18 Aug 2022 Read more »