Poaching Laws in India

According to the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), wildlife crime refers to acts that violate national laws and regulations in order to protect natural resources and manage their management and use. This includes the illegal exploitation of natural resources, such as animal poaching and illegal logging. It may also include subsequent actions, such as the transformation of fauna and flora into products, their transport, sale and possession. Tiger poaching occurs in all areas where large numbers of tigers have been recorded. Poaching is particularly prevalent in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Assam. However, some aspects of wildlife protection can be drawn from the above cases. A key aspect is the eviction of villagers or tribal communities from their birthplace, simply because the area, which was once only a forest, has now been declared a nature reserve or national park. They are evicted because it is believed that they can harm wildlife. However, what people need to keep in mind is that these tribes and villages have existed by maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the forest and its wildlife that benefits both parties. Indeed, when they use the forest and wildlife to survive, they also try to conduct their activities in a way that causes as little damage as possible and restores the resources of the forest and the wildlife population. Therefore, these villages and tribes should be an integral part of national sanctuaries or parks. Instead of exploiting wildlife, they could also help prevent activities such as poaching, as many of these tribes are always looking for wild animals as a guardian spirit.

India has its own long history of poaching. It is believed that the activity was first popularized by the Mughal emperor Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad Akbar in the 16th century. He developed a passion for it and sparked the tradition of “shikar” (royal hunt). Since then, this activity has been continued by a number of leaders and often associated with power and prestige. As we can see, laws have been put in place to protect wildlife. However, this has still not contributed to fully or even significantly influencing and deterring the problems of poaching and wildlife trafficking. After all, it has been scientifically proven time and time again how important it is to maintain the natural balance not only for the survival of man, but also of the earth as a living being. But the greed of a few again threatens the survival of the natural balance on earth. Another reason, which I believe is the main cause of wildlife poaching and trade, is the lifestyle and superstitions of the people that lead them to form the demand market for these products.

This means that this blood market exists only because people demand these goods, either to show themselves or out of fascination or superstition. Poaching is called hunting, killing or illegal capture of wild animals. Since the 1980s, the term “poaching” has also referred to the illegal harvesting of wild plant species. Poaching of animals because of their body parts or skin has existed for as long as man intended. In other words, this market, which thrives on the demand for goods, has existed legally for a long time. This is because the meaning of the term illegal has changed over the centuries. It was legal for a monarch to hunt wild animals as a sport, although in modern times any way of hunting, killing or capturing wild animals is considered illegal. The only exception would be when a wild animal becomes dangerous to human life or property. Although morally speaking; The hunting, capture and immediate killing of animals should be carried out only in self-defence or when it becomes dangerous to human life or property. Killing animals in any other situation should be considered illegal because it is man himself who has led to a decline in wildlife worldwide. The wildlife trade is considered poaching because wildlife poaching is essential to the wildlife trade. Second, if poaching is done for someone other than oneself, it is wildlife trade.

Therefore, in order to discourage and ultimately stop these practices, it becomes imperative to first find the buyers of these creatures and imprison or prevent them, automatically making him a euphemistic king who only orders his soldiers to kill without getting their hands dirty. Both activities result in a disruption of the natural balance in the environment, which further affects the natural cycle necessary for survival. For example, many communities around the world; Often, the poorest depend on wildlife to survive. Some rural households depend on wild animals for protein, trees for fuel, and wild animals and plants for natural remedies. Poaching and wildlife trade deprive them of survival opportunities and thus affect their lives. In addition to these reasons, there are great legal loopholes related to exotic pet ownership in India. People caught transporting exotic wildlife can only be charged if it can be proven that they have illegally crossed an international border with these animals. “Once in India, there are no guidelines or laws regulating the ownership of alien species. The Wildlife Welfare Act only applies to Indian wildlife,” says Sanjeev Pednekar, founder of Prani, an educational centre and refuge for rescued birds and animals on the outskirts of Bangalore. Steel traps – made by nomadic blacksmiths. These traps are immensely strong. In one case of tiger poaching near Raipur in 1994, it took six adult males to open a trap.

In one area of central India, investigators discovered that so many steel traps had been set up that villagers were afraid to go into the forest. People have suffered terrible injuries because of these traps. Laws prohibiting illegal poaching have certainly been implemented. However, the relevance of the law is judged by its outcome, and judging by recent statistics, it is quite obvious that poaching laws have done little to curb the practice and thus protect wildlife.