Latest news with #WildLife(Protection)Act
New Indian Express
11 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Cops attend workshop on handling animal cruelty cases in Bengaluru
BENGALURU: Nearly 300 policemen attached to the Bengaluru Police Commissionerate attended a two-day workshop in the office of the City Police Commissioner on combating cruelty towards animals. The workshop was conducted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India). A similar workshop was conducted for assistant directors and veterinary officers of the animal husbandry department, Bengaluru Urban, where their roles and responsibilities in investigations of cruelty, along with laws and procedures, were discussed. The three-hour workshop's attendees included head-constables, ASIs, SIs, and police inspectors from East, West, North, South, Central, Northeast, Southeast and Central zones of the Bengaluru City Police. The session covered key provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960; the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (as amended in 2022); the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023; and other animal protection laws. A follow-up training session for local volunteers will be held on August 9 to further empower them with knowledge of legal procedures and tips on handling cases. 'The role of police and animal husbandry officials is vital in keeping animals safe. We commend the Bengaluru City Police and the Animal Husbandry Department, Bengaluru Urban, for their goal of cracking down on cruelty to animals. PETA India is pleased to support them in this effort,' PETA India's Legal Advisor and Director of Cruelty Response Meet Ashar said. 'Bengaluru taking a zero-tolerance stand on cruelty to animals will protect animals and society at large.'
Hans India
12 hours ago
- Hans India
Combating cruelty to animals: City police, animal husbandry dept invite PETA for workshops
Bengaluru: Over two days, nearly 300 police officers from Bengaluru City Police Commissionerate gathered in the Commissioner's office to attend a workshop conducted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India) on combating cruelty to animals. A similar workshop was conducted for Assistant Directors and Veterinary Officers of the Animal Husbandry Department, Bengaluru Urban, where their roles and responsibilities for cruelty to animals investigations, along with laws and procedures, were discussed. The three-hour workshop's attendees included police head constables, assistant sub-inspectors, sub-inspectors, and police inspectors from east, west, north, south, central, northeast, southeast and central sones of the Bengaluru City Police. The session covered key provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960; the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (as amended in 2022); the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023; and other animal protection laws. A follow-up training session for local volunteers will be held on Saturday to further empower them with knowledge of legal procedures and tips on handling cases. 'The role of police and animal husbandry officials is vital in keeping animals safe. We commend Bengaluru City Police and the Animal Husbandry Department, Bengaluru Urban, for their goal of cracking down on cruelty to animals. PETA India is pleased to support them in this effort,' says Meet Ashar, PETA India's Legal Advisor and Director of Cruelty Response. 'Bengaluru taking a sero-tolerance stand on cruelty to animals will protect animals and society at large.' In 2021, the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations released a report revealing that nearly 500,000 animals had been victims of crimes in the decade prior. PETA India notes that many violent criminals have a documented history of cruelty to animals. A study published in Forensic Research and Criminology International Journal warns, 'Those who engage in cruelty to animals were [three] times more likely to commit other crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, assault, harassment, threats, and drug/substance abuse.' This important initiative was made possible under the visionary leadership of Sowmya Reddy, General Secretary of All India Mahila Congress (AIMC) and Former Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly; Seemanth Kumar Singh, IPS, Commissioner of the Bengaluru City Police; B Dayanand, IPS, former Commissioner of the Bengaluru City Police who is now posted as the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Prisons; Raja Imam Kasim P, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime-II), Bengaluru City Police and Dr. P Srinivasu, Director, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services. This initiative is part of PETA India's ongoing efforts to sensitise law enforcement personnel and empower animal rights activists across India to ensure that crimes against animals are addressed with the seriousness they deserve. Similar sensitisation workshops have previously been conducted for Border Security Force officials all over India between October 2024- July this year.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Long Billed Bush Warbler sighted in Ladakh's Suru Valley: Govt to Rajya Sabha
The elusive Long Billed Bush Warbler has been reported in Union Territory of Ladakh's Sankoo Suru Valley, union environment minister informed Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The last confirmed Indian sighting was in 1979. (Harish Thangaraj) 'As informed by the Union Territory Administration of Ladakh, the Long Billed Bush Warbler has been reported in Sankoo Suru Valley. The Long Billed Bush Warbler is a species, primarily dependent on undisturbed grasslands and scrub habitats and its sighting reflects the ecological integrity of such habitats. Long Billed Bush Warbler (Locustella major) is listed in Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, providing them protection under the Act,' Kirti Vardhan Singh, minister of state (MoS) said. HT reported on July 20 that a team of five birders has recorded the first confirmed Indian sighting of the elusive Long-billed Bush Warbler in 46 years, spotting the Near Threatened species in Ladakh's Suru Valley as part of a mission to find the country's 'long lost birds'. He was responding to questions by BJP MP, Ashokrao Shankarrao Chavan on two questions namely, if the long-billed bush warblerc (Locustella major), a rare and elusive bird species seen recently by a team of rare bird researchers after a gap of 46 years in Ladakhs's Suru Valley as part of a mission to find county's 'long lost birds', if so, details thereof and secondly, if the ecological significance of sighting of long-billed bush warbler in the context of biodiversity conservation and habitat assessment in country among others. In reply, the MoS said that the important measures taken for conservation of birds including Long Billed Bush Warbler include, Protected Areas, viz., National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves covering important wildlife habitats have been created all over the country under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972; Wetlands (Conservation and Management) rules, 2017, for better protection of wetlands in the country; financial assistance is provided to the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations for conservation and management of wildlife and development of its habitats under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of 'Development of Wildlife Habitats'; a specific component of 'Recovery programmes for saving critically endangered species and habitats' is included in the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of 'Development of Wildlife Habitats' for focused conservation action on identified 24 critically endangered species including Bustards, Edible nest Swiftlets, Nicobar Megapode, Jerdon's Courser and Vultures among others. 'Rediscovering the Long-billed Bush Warbler in Ladakh wasn't a stroke of luck—it was the result of strategic planning, deep research, and field persistence by a committed team. The bird was found in remote willow thickets of Suru Valley at over 3,200 metres—harsh terrain that likely kept it hidden for decades. This sighting not only rewrites the species' known range but also reminds us how much of India's high-altitude biodiversity remains unexplored and in urgent need of protection,' said Nikhil Devasar, Delhi based birder and organiser of the Big Bird Day.
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
MP tigers tobe airliftedto Raj in Oct
Jaipur: The state forest department is set to airlift tigers from Madhya Pradesh in a phased interstate relocation, beginning in October and expected to conclude by December. This will be Rajasthan's second helicopter-based tiger translocation, but the first to be done interstate. The first took place successfully in 2008, when a male tiger was flown by helicopter from Ranthambore National Park to Sariska Tiger Reserve. However, that operation was not interstate. The decision was taken during a meeting held on Wednesday at the Parliament House office in the presence of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union minister for environment and forests Bhupender Yadav, and senior forest officials, including Anand Kumar, additional chief secretary of the forest department, and chief wildlife warden Shikha Mehra. A state official said, "Seven tigers—including both males and females—will be translocated to Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Kota and Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Bundi." Officials also confirmed that all necessary preparations for the tiger translocation are underway. One official added, "Given the distance and challenging landscape, helicopters will be used for the translocation." The prey base is also being strengthened, with plans to release 150 chitals (spotted deer) into the reserves. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Woman sells ring given by ex, then jeweler tells her 'This can't be true' Daily Sport X Undo The meeting also called for expediting the no objection certificate process to fast-track development works in forest areas. All paperwork was completed, and formal approval under Section 12 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, was granted on March 25. The forest department waited for summer to end before starting the translocation. Environmentalist Bhanwar Singh Hada, welcoming the move, said, "At present, Ramgarh has seven big cats, including sub-adults, and Mukundra has five, including a cub. This is a crucial step to improve the gene pool, as earlier research by the National Centre for Biological Sciences found that Rajasthan has more inbred tigers than any other state in the country."
Deccan Herald
4 days ago
- Deccan Herald
Wildlife crime cases in India decline significantly: Govt
India recorded over 2,700 wildlife crime cases from 2020 to 2024, with West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana reporting some of the highest numbers, according to government data. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said the responsibility for conservation and protection of wildlife, including prevention of illegal trafficking, lies primarily with the state governments and Union Territories under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) collects and shares intelligence, coordinates enforcement and issues alerts to combat organised wildlife crime. The data shows India recorded a total of 2,701 wildlife crime cases from 2020 to 2024. The country registered 820 cases in 2020; 632 in 2021; 546 in 2022; 349 in 2023 and 354 in 2024. Between 2020 and 2024, West Bengal recorded the highest number of cases at 349, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 297 and Haryana with 243. Tamil Nadu logged 200 such cases, Assam 178, Uttarakhand 15, Andhra Pradesh 153, Madhya Pradesh 145, Odisha 143, Karnataka 84, Maharashtra 77, Himachal Pradesh 76, Meghalaya 71, Telangana 51, and Punjab 49. Singh said the WCCB works with state agencies, customs, border forces and international organisations like INTERPOL and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to tackle wildlife trafficking. India is also a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), with its provisions incorporated into the Wild Life (Protection) Act through a 2022 amendment. In the last five years, the WCCB conducted 806 training programmes for government officials and 128 awareness campaigns and community outreach initiatives to curb wildlife trafficking.
