Latest news with #Wildlife(Protection)Act
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
PMC seeks withdrawal of offence in wildlife orphanage case citing administrative oversight
Two years after a forest offence was registered under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has formally requested the forest department to withdraw the case filed against its zoo director and other officials. The PMC maintains that the irregularities observed at the now-defunct wildlife orphanage were administrative lapses—not deliberate violations. In a letter dated May 30, the PMC also requested the return of a four-horned antelope and a jackal that were seized by the forest department during an inspection in June 2023. The civic body noted that it has since secured retrospective approval from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) for housing these animals, granted on December 8, 2023. The case stems from an April 2023 inspection by the forest department at the Wildlife Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (WARRC), operated by the Indian Herpetological Society (IHS) under a formal agreement with the PMC. Inspectors found several violations, including unauthorized long-term housing of wild animals, failure to obtain CZA permissions for breeding, and inadequate documentation. Following the inspection, a forest offence was registered on September 14, 2023, against zoo director Rajkumar Jadhav under Sections 2(16-G), 9, 39, and 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. In its communication to the forest department, the PMC emphasized that the day-to-day operations of the orphanage were managed by the IHS, which was responsible for animal care, record-keeping, and coordination with authorities. The PMC argued that the violations were procedural oversights by the NGO, not intentional misconduct by civic officials. Citing a standing committee resolution dated February 9, 2024, the PMC noted it has officially shut down the wildlife orphanage and ended its association with IHS. Now that the matter is 'regularized,' the PMC has urged the forest department to withdraw the case and permit the return of the seized animals to the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park. Jadhav said, 'The irregularities occurred inadvertently, and no intentional harm was done to the animals. We have since obtained all required permissions from the Central Zoo Authority. As we were not directly responsible for the orphanage's management, I believe the case against me should be withdrawn.' Mahadev Mohite, deputy conservator of forest, Pune division, acknowledged the administrative nature of the violations. He said, 'The offence mainly pertains to record-keeping lapses. No animal cruelty or intentional harm was found. Since the matter involves the zoo, we will ask the PMC to submit its report to the Maharashtra Zoo Authority (MZA), which is the competent body to decide the next course of action.' However, Aditya Paranjape, wildlife warden, Pune forest department, stressed the need for accountability. 'Irregularities were identified and a case was registered. Someone must take responsibility, and appropriate action should be taken against the concerned authority or individual,' he said. IHS began its involvement with the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park in Pune around 2008, when it took on the management of the zoo's WARRC. For approximately 15 years, IHS collaborated closely with the zoo's wildlife unit, focusing on the rescue, rehabilitation, and care of reptiles and other wildlife found in urban areas. Meanwhile, the forest department's newly constructed Transit Treatment Centre (TTC), which replaces the orphanage, is now operational and reportedly running under stricter oversight.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
52 exotic reptiles seized from passenger arriving from Bangkok
MUMBAI: The Mumbai Customs Department intercepted an Indian passenger at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Saturday for allegedly smuggling a large number of exotic reptiles and turtles into the country. The forest department had informed the Customs officials about the alleged smuggler on Saturday. The accused arrived from Bangkok in Thai Airways and was intercepted based on his suspicious behaviour and the description provided in the tip-off. Officials checked his baggage and found three spider-tailed horned vipers (pseudocerastes urarachnoides), five Asian leaf turtles (cyclemys dentata), and 44 Indonesian pit vipers (trimeresurus insularis), out of which one had died. The snakes are both listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora as species not currently threatened with extinction but could become so if their trade is not strictly regulated. It is also listed under Schedule IV of the newly amended Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, indicating they are less endangered from trading and hunting. Pit vipers are not listed under CITES, as per a statement by Customs. Yogesh Varkad, deputy director of the wildlife crime control bureau, said the accused passenger, Mohammed Hanif Shahul, was arrested at the airport under the provisions of the Customs Act 1962. Further investigation is going on. The seized animals will be kept in Byculla Zoo till their deportation. 'It was a violation of CITES and import policy, as import of live animals requires a license from the director general of foreign trade,' Varkad said. Since all the three species are not indigenous in nature, it was suggested that on completion of the Customs procedures and formalities, all 51 live reptiles and turtles, should be deported back to the origin country, said Varkad. The Customs officials conducted a panchnama of the recovered exotic reptiles and registered a case. Earlier, in February, the Mumbai customs had arrested a Chennai resident at CSMIA, after he arrived from Kuala Lumpur, based on profiling. During the search, five baby Siamang Gibbon (symphalangus syndactylus) were found in his possession. The animal is listed in Appendix 1 of CITES, indicating they are threatened with extinction, and Schedule IV of the newly amended Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. All five Siamang Gibbons were ingeniously concealed inside plastic cages and carried by the passenger inside trolley bags.
News18
3 days ago
- News18
Customs Officers Arrest A Man At Mumbai Airport For Smuggling Exotic Reptiles
Last Updated: Customs officers, under vide Panchanama dated June 1, 2025, recovered the above-mentioned contraband. The Customs officers arrested a man at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for attempting to smuggle rare reptiles, including 3 Spider-Tailed Horned Vipers, 5 Asian Leaf Turtles, and 44 Indonesian Pit Vipers, a press release said on Sunday. Spider-tailed horned Viper (Pseudocerastes urarachnoides) is listed under Appendix II of CITES and Schedule IV of the newly amended Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Asian Leaf Turtle (Cyclemys dentata) is listed under Appendix II of CITES and Schedule IV of the newly amended Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Indonesian Pit Viper (Trimeresurus insularis) -44 is not listed under CITES. Based on specific information, one Indian national who arrived in Mumbai by Flight No. TG317 on May 31 2025, was intercepted by the Customs Officers at the airport. Upon questioning, the passenger exhibited signs of nervousness. Further examination of the baggage revealed that the passenger was carrying these rare reptiles. Customs officers, under vide Panchanama dated June 1, 2025, recovered the above-mentioned contraband. The said passenger was placed under arrest under the provisions of the Customs Act 1962. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Science
- Hindustan Times
100 days later, satellite-tagged whale shark circles back to Gujarat coast: WTI
Ahmedabad: A 28-foot whale shark tagged with a tracker in December completed a 4,000-kilometre journey across the Arabian Sea over 100 days and circled back to the starting point off the Gujarat coast, people familiar with the matter said. The whale shark, rescued from a fishing net, was satellite-tagged and released by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) in a collaborative operation with the Gujarat Forest Department. It moved along India's western coastline, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala before reaching the Lakshadweep Islands, where it spent a week. The whale shark next ventured 700 kilometres from the Maharashtra coast to reach the Gulf of Oman, approached near Karachi, and ultimately returned to Veraval on April 4. 'This is the first time a whale shark tagged in India has returned to the coast. This supports our long-held theory that whale sharks in this region are residents of the Arabian Sea,' BC Choudhury, principal investigator of Aquatic Projects at WTI. Researchers said the whale shark's return to the Gujarat coast supports the idea that there was a unique group of whale sharks in the Arabian Sea. 'Previous tissue samples and genetic studies had suggested that whale sharks along the Indian coast may belong to a distinct group, and this tagged individual's homecoming adds weight to that theory,' he added. Choudhury said they needed to tag some more whale sharks for a longer duration before they could reach a firm conclusion. 'The whale sharks are breeding and aggregating off the Gujarat coast near Veraval, migrating and breeding exclusively in the Arabian Sea. We need more oceanographic data. For instance, we need to know why they come up to the sea's surface near Veraval. Is it due to the temperature?' according to Choudhury. He added that while whale sharks are known for long-distance migrations, the confirmation of a distinct regional group raises important conservation concerns. 'If there is only one such population in this part of the ocean, it becomes more vulnerable to local extinction,' he said. 'Just as the pride of lions in Gir is protected to preserve that endemic lineage, this whale shark population in the Arabian Sea must be treated with similar care, as it may not be found elsewhere in the same genetic form.' Jaipal Singh, principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife), Gujarat, said the latest tagging showed that whale sharks have found a haven along the state's coast. Singh said close to 1,000 whale sharks have been saved along the coastline, a sharp contrast to the situation till the 1990s when whale sharks, the world's biggest fish, were killed for their fins and oil. Mike Pandey's 2000 documentary, Shores of Silence: Whale Sharks in India, exposed this crisis, winning the Wildscreen Panda Award and prompting action. In 2001, India listed whale sharks under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, banning hunting. Gujarat's forest department along with WTI and Tata Chemicals, launched the Save the Whale Shark Campaign in 2004. More than 950 whale sharks have been saved in Gujarat and the project, considered a model in community-led conservation, has since then been expanded to Kerala and Lakshadweep. A research study published in Frontiers in Marine Science on July 6, 2021, conducted by marine researchers from India and Australia, including researchers from WTI, tracked eight whale sharks off Gujarat from 2011 to 2017. Most of them remained near the Gujarat and Maharashtra coast, while two moved into the Arabian Sea, following frontal zones with sea surface temperatures of 24–29°C for efficient plankton foraging. 'The satellite tracking reveals these whale sharks, while part of the broader Indo-Pacific population, remain largely within the Arabian Sea, moving between the African coast in the west and the Indian coast in the east,' said Sajan John, head of WTI's Marine Projects. He said that the return to the tagging location indicates the site fidelity of the whale shark. 'Since whale sharks visiting the Gujarat coast exhibit site fidelity, it is very important to conserve these whale sharks because loss of these individuals over time period will be very detrimental,' he said. John said the geo-spatial migration in the context of the sea surface temperature suggests that the whale shark prefers warmer waters in the range of 25-30°C. 'Further, correlation with the global distribution of phytoplankton suggests the route through areas with high distribution of planktons, the main food for whale sharks,' he added.
News18
6 days ago
- General
- News18
Saving Kashmir's Iconic Hangul Deer: Govt Notifies Eco-Sensitive Zone Around Tral Wildlife Sanctuary
Last Updated: Once widely distributed across Kashmir and parts of Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, the Kashmir Stag (Hangul) is now confined to just 150-200 individuals—with 110-130 in Dachigam alone In a significant effort to protect Jammu and Kashmir's iconic and critically endangered Hangul deer, the Centre has officially designated an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around the Tral Wildlife Sanctuary, a critical biodiversity hotspot. The ministry of environment, forests, and climate change finalised this decision on Tuesday after receiving no objections during the 60-day public consultation period. The initial draft was published on October 3 the previous year. The notification designates nearly 127.1 sq km as an Eco-Sensitive Zone, extending up to 3.36 km from the sanctuary's boundaries and encompassing 26 villages. The Tral Wildlife Sanctuary serves as a vital corridor for the remaining population of Hangul in the country. Following the notification, the government can now regulate activities in the area to create a buffer zone, aiding the survival of this vulnerable species. Once widely distributed across Kashmir and parts of Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district, the Kashmir Red Deer (Hangul)—commonly known as the Kashmir Stag—now has an estimated population of just 150-200 individuals, based on a 2015 estimate. The last remaining population is primarily confined to Dachigam National Park and its immediate surroundings, highlighting the species' critical status. Located about 45 km southeast of Srinagar, the Tral Wildlife Sanctuary in Pulwama district is one of the few areas outside the national park where a small population of Hangul still exists. The Kashmir Red Deer (Hangul) is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and is classified as 'critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Due to rising poaching and habitat threats, its population has drastically declined over the years. The sanctuary is also connected to other important wildlife areas, such as Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary and Khrew Conservation Reserve, which together support various important and endemic species of animals and birds. In addition to the Kashmir Red Deer, the Tral Wildlife Sanctuary is home to endemic species like the Kashmir Musk Deer and Kashmir Gray Langur, as well as threatened species like the Common Leopard, Himalayan Griffon Vulture, Bearded Vulture, and Kashmir Flycatcher. It also harbours numerous plant species with significant medicinal value. Historically, parts of the protected area, namely Shikargah and Khangund, were once designated as conservation reserves, some of the oldest notified protected areas in India, dating back to 1945. In 2019, these reserves, along with adjoining forest areas, were upgraded to a wildlife sanctuary, now covering about 155 sq km of the rugged and undulating terrain of the Greater Himalayan Mountains.
