Buzz: Latest news on illegal wildlife trade in India

Sea cucumbers seized, five held; 11 June 2010: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials have arrested five persons in Tuticorin for smuggling 388 kg of sea cucumbers to Sri Lanka and are on the look out for the main persons involved in the racket. For more information, please visit http://www.thehindu.com/2010/06/11/stories/2010061152900400.htm

Tiger skins and bones seized at the Indo-Nepal border, 31 July 2009: One person was arrested by the SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal) on the Indo-Nepal border along with Tiger skin and bones. The seizure took place in Sonauli, Maharajganj district, Uttar Pradesh. SSB Commandant, Lalit Kumar said the skins and bones recovered are of two grown up Tigers. Forest officials have been informed of the recovery and investigations are on.
Source-http://ptinews.com/news/206108_One-person-arrested-with-tiger-skin-and-bones ; http://bigcatrescue.blogspot.com/2009/08/one-person-arrested-with-tiger-skin-and.html

Three Leopards poached in Uttarakhand, 26 July 2009: Three Leopard skins and a vehicle used by the poachers were seized by the Uttarakhand Forest Department from a hotel at Birhi, near Chamoli district, which comes under the Bhadrinath Forest Division. The Leopards are believed to have been killed in the Nizmullah valley. In the last six months, at least 16 Leopard skins have been seized in the state of Uttarakhand. For more information, please visit http://indiatoday.intoday.in/index.php?issueid=115&id=53917&option=com_
content&task=view&sectionid=4


Over 100 arrested for poaching 46 Rhinos in Assam, 22 July 2009: At least 132 persons were arrested for poaching 46 Rhinos in Assam since 2006, the government informed Lok Sabha on 22 July 2009. Replying to a written question, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said nine Rhinos were poached in 2006 while 21 and 16 in 2007 and 2008 respectively. He said that the estimated population of Rhinos in the four different protected areas of Assam was 2021 of which 2048 Rhinos were found in Kaziranga National Park, followed by Orang National Park (64 Rhinos), Pobitra Wildlife Sanctuary (84) and five in Manas national Park. For more information, please visit http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/630008/National/1/20/1

Wildlife Bill passed, 16 July 2009: The Assam Assembly passed the Wildlife (Protection Assam Amendment) Bill, 2009 in order to amend the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The new Bill has incorporated stringent punishment for poaching, including life imprisonment that was not in the original Act. The three-year jail term in the original Act has been increased to seven years, and the seven-year term has been increased to ten years in the newly passed Bill that has the provision of life imprisonment for the repeat of the same wildlife offence. For more information, please visit http://www.sentinelassam.com/main_news.php?sec=1&subsec=0&id=16732&dtP=2009-07-17&ppr=1

Poacher allegedly involved in killing dozens of Tigers and Leopards held in MP, 16 July 2009: The Madhya Pradesh wildlife department arrested a well-known Tiger and Leopard poacher, Durru Pardhi, in Katni, Madhya Pradesh. Durru, 30, operated all over the country to poach Tigers and is believed to be involved in about killing of dozens of Tigers and Leopards in the state of Karnataka and Maharashtra. He has been absconding since December 2007 and was a prime accused in the case of the seizure of 65 skins in Karnataka. He is also wanted in the high-profile Lion poaching in Gir, Gujarat in 2007. For more information, please visit http://indiatoday.intoday.in/index.php?issueid=116&id=52207&option=com_
content&task=view&sectionid=4


Forty six endangered Indian Softshell Turtles seized in West Bengal, 12 July 2009: Authorities at Bidhannagar More intercepted a vehicle coming from Bihar and recovered 46 Indian Softshell Turtles, a Schedule I species. Two persons from Malligunj on the Bengal-Bihar border, were arrested. Foresters had been tipped off about the duo taking the turtles to Nepal. The turtles were further supposed to be carried from Nepal to China, where they fetch a high amount for their flesh as well as for their medicinal value. For more information, please visit http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kolkata-/Duo-held-with-46-rare-turtles/articleshow/4770598.cms

Three Tiger pelts seized in Karnataka, 12 July 2009: The forest department arrested three persons and seized three Tiger pelts that the trio was carrying from Tenkila in Puttur, Karnataka. The policemen arrested the accused when they were travelling towards Puttur By Pass for selling the pelts, from Eshwaramangala in an auto rickshaw at around 7 pm on Sunday. For more information, please visit http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=62532&n_tit=Mangalore%3A+Thre

Assam Rifles seize pangolin shells, 12 July 2009: Troops of 42 Assam Rifles of 26 Sector confiscated 950 gm of pangolin shells from a lady plying from Kakching to Moreh. The wildlife products were detected at Bongyang checkpost and the lady was immediately apprehended for possession of banned items. For more information, please visit
http://www.e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=Snipp6..150709.jul09

Tusks seized from Kolkata post office, 10 July 2009: The Customs officials seized two ivory tusks from the Prinsep Street post office on 10 July 2009. Assisted by the postmaster, the officials sifted through the piles of parcels and came across two big boxes marked ‘garment’ that weighed suspiciously more. On ripping the parcels, the officials recovered two huge pieces of ivory tusks. The parcels were marked for Mumbai. For more information, please visit
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata-/Tusks-pop-out-of-parcel-at-Prinsep-St-post-office/articleshow/4764804.cms

Woman poacher sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment, 7 July 2009: A Court in Uttar Pradesh sentenced a woman poacher to five years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of INR25 000 in a 16-year-old Tiger poaching case. Fifty-five-year-old Dilipo was sentenced by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACGM) Rajeshwari Tolia of a Pilibhit court, who found her guilty of killing and smuggling Tiger skins and parts. For more information, please visit http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Earth/Woman-poacher-jailed-for-5yrs/articleshow/4754609.cms
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