‘Wildlife trade’ refers to the commercial use by people of wild animal and plant resources. While most of this trade is legal, a significant portion of it is not.
Every year, as India celebrates the festival of Diwali, owls suffer in large numbers as they become victims of illicit and superstitious beliefs and rituals promoted amongst the unsuspecting public by local mystic practitioners. Owls are trapped and traded for ritual sacrifices, and these sinister activities usually peak around the festival of Diwali. Lack of awareness about owls leading to misbeliefs and the limited capacity of enforcement agencies to identify them in illegal wildlife trade has made this illicit activity challenging to detect and curb.
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WHAT IS WILDLIFE TRADE?
‘Wildlife trade’ refers to the commercial use by people of wild animal and plant resources. While most of this trade is legal, a significant portion of it is not.
NEWS UPDATE
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RED SANDERS IN ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE
To highlight the threat to Red Sanders Pterocarpus santalinus from illegal wildlife trade, TRAFFIC and WWF-India have released a ...
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SEA CUCUMBER IN DEEP WATERS: NEW STUDY REVEALS WORRYING ILLEGAL TRADE IN INDIA
Research by TRAFFIC and WWF-India highlights the scale of the threat that sea cucumbers, belonging to the class Holothuroidea, ...
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THREATENED BY SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES: OWLS OF INDIA
Every year, as India celebrates the festival of Diwali, owls suffer in large numbers as they become victims of illicit and ...
