Latest news with #WildlifeProtectionAct
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Passenger returning from Bangkok caught at Mumbai airport for carrying venomous snakes, turtles
An Indian who arrived at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport from Thailand was found to be carrying 48 highly venomous snakes and five turtles, an official said on Sunday. Customs officials intercepted the passenger on Saturday night after he got down from a flight from Bangkok, he said. During a search of his baggage, the Customs officials discovered 48 highly venomous viper snakes and five turtles, he said. A team from RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare) assisted in the identification and handling of these species, he said. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has ordered that the reptiles be sent back to the country from where they had been brought, as per the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, the official added.
Deccan Herald
4 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Passenger caught with 48 highly venomous snakes at Mumbai airport
The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has ordered that the reptiles be sent back to the country from where they had been brought, as per the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
DFO absolves leopardess attacker despite video evidence
Pilibhit: After a 40-day inquiry into the assault of an injured leopardess, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of the Pilibhit forest and wildlife division (FWD), Bharat Kumar, absolved the main accused, Pyare Lal, of any wrongdoing, on May 27. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The incident which took place on April 5, involved the villager striking the big cat multiple times with an axe, which has been captured in a widely circulated video. DFO Kumar, instead of submitting a report to the field director of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) – the immediate authority governing DFOs of PTR and FWD – filed his report directly to district magistrate Gyanendra Singh, which concluded that Pyare Lal had acted in self-defence and that his axe attack caused no harm to the leopardess. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from within the forest department. An IFS officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed disbelief at the DFO's decision. "If I were in Bharat Kumar's place, I would have booked the attacker under sections of the Wildlife Protection Act. This is undisputedly a wildlife-related crime," he said. The incident unfolded when a pickup mini truck struck the leopardess on the Pilibhit-Madhotanda road near Mala forest range of PTR. The vehicle reportedly dragged the big cat for about a kilometre before the driver abandoned the truck and fled. The injured animal then took shelter in a nearby vacant agricultural field. While forest officials waited for the rescue team to arrive, Pyare Lal, the owner of the field, approached the leopardess along with two forest watchers — Anokhe Lal and Rakesh Tiwari — defying the assigned protocol. Feeling threatened, the leopardess charged at the trio, prompting Pyare Lal to attack her with an axe. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The autopsy later revealed fractures in the animal's third and fourth vertebrae, and PTR veterinary officer Dr Daksh Gangwar did not rule out axe blows as the cause. However, a three-member inquiry panel formed to probe the matter established that Pyare Lal had thrown the axe in self-defence and concluded that it did not cause any injury. The IFS officer said, "Approaching and provoking a scheduled wild animal is a punishable offence under the Wildlife Protection Act. All three individuals should have been held accountable." Chief wildlife warden of UP, Anuradha Vemuri, said she will summon the concerned report for a detailed review, citing concerns raised by the video evidence. Meanwhile, the forest department has also failed to apprehend the truck driver involved in the initial collision. Sub-divisional forest officer of FWD, Anjani Kumar Shrivastav, said, "The vehicle owner, Amir Khan, secured anticipatory bail about two weeks ago. However, he has refused to disclose the driver's identity. The department has been unable to trace the driver so far."
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
12 pangolins released after rescue operations in T.N.
Two pangolins, including a baby, were recently rescued from wildlife traffickers near Chennai and released back into their natural habitat by the Tamil Nadu Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (TNWCCB). This action is part of the bureau's ongoing efforts to combat pangolin trafficking. Pangolin is an endangered species protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. As many as 50 individuals remanded in related operations over the past few months, Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary to Departments of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, wrote in a post on social media platform X. Twelve pangolins have been safely released following similar operations from across Tamil Nadu, Ms. Sahu said. As the world's most trafficked mammals, pangolins face severe threats from poaching for their scales and meat, pushing them towards extinction.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Jumbo dies after touching electric fence in Tinsukia tea garden, owner held
Dibrugarh: Amid escalating human-elephant conflict in the state, a wild male Asian elephant has been electrocuted in Ouguri village under the Lakhipathar forest range in Tinsukia district. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The carcass, discovered on Thursday, showed signs of decomposition, indicating the elephant had died at least two days earlier. Its tusks were missing, raising suspicions of poaching. Forest officials revealed that the elephant had strayed from the west block of the upper Dehing Reserve Forest, likely in search of food, when it came into contact with an illegally installed electric wire in a tea garden. The garden owner, who has since been arrested, reportedly set up the live wire to prevent elephants from raiding his property. BV Sandeep, divisional forest officer of Digboi Forest Division, said, "Preliminary investigations suggest the elephant died due to electrocution. The garden owner admitted to setting up the illegal electric fencing. The carcass was at least 40 hours old when found. The tusks were missing from the scene, and we are investigating whether they were removed post-mortem. If this was an intentional act, it would constitute a serious wildlife crime. We have registered a case under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and arrested the accused." Local conservationists have condemned the incident, emphasising the growing frequency of such cases due to habitat destruction and blocked elephant corridors. Tinsukia, a vital elephant habitat, has witnessed a surge in human-elephant conflicts driven by encroachment, deforestation, and unregulated construction. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Elephants, displaced from their natural habitats, often raid crops and settlements, leading to retaliatory actions such as illegal electric fencing and poison traps. Environmental activist Rocktim Sonowal said, "Asian elephants, which can weigh up to 4,500 kg, require vast territories to sustain their dietary needs, consuming up to 300 kilograms of vegetation daily. When their natural pathways are obstructed, they are forced to seek alternative routes, bringing them into conflict with humans."
