Wildlife Crime in India: Rising Poaching and Trafficking Threats in Punjab

A study by researchers from Lovely Professional University finds wildlife crime hotspots in Punjab, despite its forest cover being under 3.6%.

• The study was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Threatened Taxa.

Key Findings of Study

• Wildlife Crime Incidents in Punjab: The study documents 32 incidents of wildlife crime in Punjab between 2019 and 2024, affecting thousands of animals, many endangered.
• Species Targeted: Apart from wild boars, leopards, tigers, sambars, freshwater turtles, and Tibetan antelopes, the trafficked animals include marine species.
• Crime Hotspot Analysis: Using spatial analysis, they found that 1% of the State’s area — roughly 509 sq km — accounts for extreme-intensity crime hotspots, while nearly 30% falls in low-to-moderate intensity zones.
• Geographical Concentration of Crimes: Analysis of the recorded incidents revealed that wildlife crimes were concentrated in the Shivalik foothills and within the districts of Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar, and Tarn Taran.
• Most Targeted Species: The study identified wild boar as the most frequently targeted species, often linked to bushmeat trade and illegal transport networks. In one case, 127 live and dead individuals were seized.
• International Trafficking Network: The seizure of 201 shahtoosh shawls during the study period suggested the killing of hundreds of Tibetan antelopes, exposing connections to international trafficking chains.
  • The Tibetan antelope is found in the Qinghai and Xinjiang regions of China and the Ladakh and Karakoram regions of India.
• Crime Methods: Crime methods used range from nets, clutch-wire snares, and metal traps to firearms and trained dogs, pointing to a mix of opportunistic poaching and organised crime.
• Recommendations: The researchers suggested targeted enforcement, better monitoring, and stronger inter-agency coordination to check wildlife crimes in the northern Indian State bordering Pakistan.

About Wildlife Crime

• Wildlife crime refers to illegal activities involving wild fauna and flora, including poaching, trafficking, possession, and illegal trade in wildlife products and derivatives.
• For Example:
  • Poaching – Sport hunting of fully protected species.

• • Illegal trade – Unauthorized netting, trapping, or sale of birds, mammals, and marine species.
  • Seasonal violations – Hunting or trade outside legal season or within protected areas.
  • Methods – Shooting, poisoning, netting, liming, snaring, and use of trained animals.Marine crimes – Killing dolphins as bait or for consumption; killing marine turtles and collecting eggs or shells.
  • Endangered species trade – Seizures of shahtoosh shawls, linking to Tibetan antelopes and international trafficking.
• Drivers of Wildlife Crime:
  • Demand‑Driven Exploitation: Global demand for ivory, skins, traditional medicine products, and exotic pets fuels poaching and trafficking.
  • Organised Crime Networks: Sophisticated syndicates operate cross‑border trafficking routes using modern logistics to evade enforcement

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Major Forms of Wildlife Crime

• Poaching and Illegal Hunting:  Targeting species for body parts (ivory, horns, skins), trophies, or consumption remains the most prevalent form of wildlife crime.
• Illegal Trade and Trafficking:  Includes smuggling of live exotic species (for pet trade), traditional medicine ingredients, and protected plant species.
• Protected Area Violations: Entry into sanctuaries and national parks to hunt, extract resources or capture wildlife contravenes Indian wildlife law. 

Legal and Policy Framework

• International Conventions:
  • CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) obligates India to regulate international wildlife trade, incorporated through amendments to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
  • National Law Enforcement:
    • Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) — a statutory body — coordinates enforcement, intelligence sharing, and capacity building among state agencies and customs.
    • State Forest Departments enforce the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 in protected areas and regions of high wildlife crime risk.

Challenges in Combating Wildlife Crime

• Weak Prosecution and Low Conviction Rates: Despite significant enforcement efforts, the conviction rate in wildlife crime cases in India remains low, often less than 10% due to evidentiary gaps, poorly documented cases. 
• Trans‑boundary Wildlife Trafficking: Wildlife crime networks exploit India’s porous borders with Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar to smuggle tiger skins, pangolin scales, and exotic pets. 
  • For Example: In 2024, over 1,200 live turtles and tortoises were seized at the India–Myanmar border, highlighting cross-border trafficking.
• Human‑Wildlife Conflict: Rural populations living near forests often face crop damage and attacks from wild animals, leading to retaliation against wildlife. 
  • For example, elephant crop raids in Odisha and leopard attacks in Himachal Pradesh villages have triggered illegal hunting and poisoning.

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Way Forward

• Strengthening Legal and Judicial Mechanisms: Conviction rates can be improved by fast-tracking wildlife cases and strengthening forensic evidence systems by establishing special wildlife courts.
• Intelligence-Led and Technology-Driven Enforcement: Adoption of drones, camera traps, and e-surveillance systems has proven effective, as seen in Kaziranga National Park, where high-tech monitoring significantly reduced rhino poaching.
• Strengthening International Cooperation: Joint operations and intelligence sharing with neighbouring countries are crucial, as demonstrated by India Nepal coordination that led to seizures of tiger parts and pangolin scales along border regions.

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