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Guwahati, Nov 25: Wildlife species are highly sought in the international markets of Southeast Asia to be used as ingredients in medicines, in the fashion industry, due to superstitious belief and sold live as pets. Steadily, India is becoming, a source, as well as a transit country for the illegal smuggling of wildlife and wildlife products. Following a recent upsurge in the smuggling of exotic animals, wildlife experts believe that a lack of formal regulation of the sector and high demand for exotic pets allows the trade to flourish, whereas, airports and border States have become a hotspot for carrying out the illegal trade. 'Exchange of animals' between zoos is another major concern that has gained momentum after several political parties, animal lovers and activists alleged that animals are transferred illegally to privately-owned zoos.
Kangaroos, Turtles, Macaws and more…
The spotting of Kangaroos endemic to Australia stunned forest officials and people alike after they were found bouncing in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri this year in April.
While three of them were rescued, a dead joey (baby kangaroo) was also recovered, several videos surfaced online wherein the marsupials were seen in a fragile condition with people surrounding the hapless animal with their mobile cameras.
Forest officials suspected that the kangaroos were sneaked in through the border areas in containers inside cramped spaces and were abandoned by smugglers in highway as soon as they got wind of security checks.
In May this year, kangaroos, rats, meerkats, white cockatoos and Burmese pythons, -- all exotic animals not indigenous to India -- were seized after they were smuggled from Myanmar. Few days later, a total of 468 endangered exotic animals, including 442 lizards, smuggled from Myanmar, were seized by the police and wildlife enforcement agencies in Mizoram's Champhai district and five people were arrested in this connection on May 25.
In a massive cross border smuggling bid, the Assam Police seized 40 rare and exotic animals, including 19 primates and two baby wallabies, from two West Bengal-bound Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) at Rangia in Kamrup district and arrested two people. The SUVs with the exotic animals had travelled more than 720 km through three northeastern states -- Mizoram, Meghalaya and Assam -- before being intercepted on National Highway-31 at Rangia.
In March, the Assam police found macaws, silvery marmosets, and golden-headed tamarin – all exotic animals from Brazil's Amazon – while conducting routine checks in Golaghat district. These animals were smuggled via Moreh, officials said.
These were some of the instances on how exotic animals are being transported and ferried to other parts of the country through border areas.
"The demand for exotic animals is not new, but earlier the detection were lesser. Now because of strict enforcement the cases of smuggling are coming to the fore. Awareness on smuggling of exotic animals is equally important as the smuggling of drugs and arms," said Jimmy Borah, Senior Manager, Legal and Advocacy Division of non-profit organisation- Aaranyak, that works to foster biodiversity conservation in northeast India.
"Earlier it was only wildlife products that were being smuggled, but now the problem is transportation of live animals. Seizing or rescuing animals is just the tip of the iceberg, the situation demands stringent measures to put a halt on smuggling by identifying the source and destination of the animals, otherwise the process will continue unabated," added Borah.
Is India becoming a hub of exotic species?
According to Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) — the federal anti-smuggling intelligence agency traffickers have turned to exotic wildlife species as these are not protected in India, whereas there is a ban on trade in Indian species. These species mostly originate from countries like Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, South America etc. There has been an exponential rise in the smuggling of exotic species and the main trafficking routes has been identified as the long and porous land border with Bangladesh and Myanmar in the Northeast region and by air. Once the species enter the country they are being transported to major cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Cochin where the demand for exotic animals as pets are high. The animals are stuffed in small crates and containers and often they are camouflaged to escape security checks. This treatment often proves fatal.
"The wildlife trafficking routes remains uncontrolled whether it is from India through Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram to Myanmar or vice versa. Initially, rhino horns, ivory, pangolin scale, tiger and leopard skin were mostly traded illegally which has a huge nexus in the Southeast Asia. In the recent past, heavy consignments of animal exotic in nature are being seized by enforcement officials. Exotic birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammalian species, including critically endangered ones are being traded. We do come across various kinds of colourful birds in stores and it obviously gives us the benefit of doubt that the pet market is flourishing. There is a high probability that such markets are being used as a cover for the smuggling of exotic species to India," said wildlife activist Mubina Akhtar.
A Guwahati-based official from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, who did not wish to be named told The Assam Tribune that the two main reasons for the booming exotic pet trade in India are - growing demand for exotic pets from the urban middle class especially from the metropolitan cities and stringent domestic Wildlife Protection Act which makes it difficult for having the luxury of Indian species as pets. Moreover, porous international land borders and proximity to Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam, where captively-bred exotic birds and animals are easily available in designated pet markets, make northeast India an entry hub for this illegal trade.
IndiaSpend, a data analysis website revealed that more than 32,000 Indians, from 25 states and five union territories are in the possession of exotic animals. This came to light after the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced a voluntary disclosure scheme, asking people to declare their exotic pets.
The official further underlined that in accordance with India's Import Policy, legal import of live animals other than wild animals as defined under Wild Life Protection Act, is permitted against a licence to Zoos and Zoological parks, circus companies, private individuals. However, this permit is given on the recommendation of the Chief Wild Life Warden of a State Government subject to the provisions of the Convention on Inter-national Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). "This lengthy procedure coupled with the fact that most of the seized exotic wildlife don't satisfy the conditions of CITES make it smuggling prone," said the official.
The North-Eastern corridor
The infamous route between India and Myanmar is not only a hotspot for illegal trade and smuggling of various highly addictive drugs, gold, arms and ammunition, but it has also turned into a smuggling hub of endangered and exotic animals.
According to several reports, the smuggled items from Myanmar are supposedly ferried to West Bengal specifically the Alipurduar-Cooch Behar-Jalpaiguri-Siliguri belt and then to other parts of the country.
Professor Parthankar Choudhury, Dean of OP Odum School of Environment, Assam University, Silchar while speaking to The Assam Tribune said, "This part of northeast India has become a happy heaven for smugglers to trade animals. Moreover, the rules as contained in the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 are strong enough to protect endangered Indian species, but are insufficient to impose punitive measures for illegal transit/trade of exotic animals. It is therefore imperative that necessary amendments be made in the WPA on urgent basis."
Geographical location, existence of organised criminal networks for trading wildlife contraband, inadequate laws, low conviction rates and poor regulation of markets and retail outlets are some of the major concerns responsible for the illegal trade to thrive.
"The diverse geography and difficult terrain are usually exploited by smuggling cartels with the help of the local populace. The usual modus operandi is carrying the contraband as head loads across the borders especially rivers to escape surveillance. Selecting the least inhabited locations along the IMB (Indo-Myanmar Border) line, the carriers usually trek through the dense jungles for hours together to reach their destination. Similarly, instances have been observed where the riverine border between India and Bangladesh along West Bengal Sector have been exploited by wildlife smugglers," official from DRI disclosed .
Another factor that comes to light is Myanmar's unstable political crisis that has lured many people into smuggling activities. Borah from Aaranyak informs that there are many private farms in Myanmar where different species of animals are found, however, following the military coup people are rendered jobless and have no stable sources of income. "Private farms in Myanmar are selling off whatever they have to sustain themselves. May be they are not doing it for smuggling, but for livelihood, and the advantage is being taken by the illegal traders," Borah asserted.
However, the official from DRI has a different view in this regard who maintains that there is no direct link being found between the upsurge in smuggling of exotic animals and the military coup in Myanmar, as prior to the coup huge consignments of contrabands were seized from the region.
Legal Complexities
In one of the biggest seizures of the country, a total of 665 rare and exotic species of animals that could have fetched around ₹3 crore in the black market was seized by the DRI at Mumbai airport. The consignment originated from Malaysia in the guise of aquarium fish. The animals were transported via air cargo by concealing them in boxes, while 548 animals survived, a total of 117 animals were found to have died during transit.
Airports are also becoming a major conduit for trafficking wildlife contraband. As per a report, by a partner of the UN Environment Programme- Traffic, more than 70,000 native and exotic animals were trafficked through 18 Indian airports between 2011 and 2020.
The startling figures underline the loopholes existing in the wildlife acts and regulations and the efforts undertaken to curb the transportation of the animals.
"The animal ethical issues are flatly overlooked while these are being transported from one country, via some other countries before they reach the target destination as set by the illegal traders. Here CITES need to come in picture and actively intervene on all such cases," said Prof Choudhury.
CITES is an international agreement which ensures international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants is sustainable and does not pose a threat to the survival of the species. The convention classifies plants and animal species into three categories based on threat assessments. The function of the convention includes authorising international trade of animals through a licensing system. It also seeks to regulate the possession of live animal specimens. Although India is also a signatory to CITES, there exists vagueness in regulating the trade of non-native or exotic species, as it is still to extend robust legal protection to the exotic animals including those listed in the CITES Appendices.
Since non-native animals are not covered under India's Wildlife Act, it gives a free hand to smugglers making their smuggling a negligible offence. Although customs officials have the authority to stop transportation of animals without proper document, however, the same does not apply if the animals are detected somewhere else, including the porous borders, which hinders enforcement action against illegally sourced non-native wildlife once it has entered the country. "Prosecuting offenders under the WPA won't be possible. However, launching prosecution under Customs Act, 1962 is still possible provided the case is also booked under the same," the DRI official informed.
To fill this gap the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill of 2021 (WLPA Bill) was introduced with the objective of aligning the Act of 1972 with CITES which seeks to increase the species protected under the law. This also comes with several other provisions for the protection of the species.
Role of zoos
Another pertinent point that Akhtar highlights is the role of zoos. Often the rescued animals are put into zoos for rehabilitation, however, where they will be moved later needs to be considered. "The rescued animals are brought to zoos. Moreover, monitoring of the animals is highly essential as it also poses a threat to the native species. When the animals land here where they are being taken, what provisions have been made for them, still remains a conundrum," Akhtar added.
Few days back a group of activists and animal lovers demonstrated in front of the Assam State Zoo and Botanical Garden in Guwahati in protest against the zoo animals being transferred to other private zoos of the country. Following the 'Exchange of animals' between the State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden, Guwahati and a zoo owned by the Reliance group in Gujarat, the protesters, alleged that the animals of the zoo are being transferred illegally to private zoos and there is no accountability of it.
"When an animal is shifted from one zoo to another there is always and exchange programme. It needs to be identified if zoos are legally procuring the animals or are involved with a huge nexus," questioned Akhtar.
On being asked about where the animals are being taken after they are rescued, the official from DRI stated whenever seizures are made in airports, the DRI or Customs hand over the goods back to concerned airlines to re-export back to the place of origin, under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. However, in the cases of smuggled wildlife through porous land borders it becomes difficult to send it back as by the time of seizure, it must have passed on through multiple hands. So, in such cases, the seized animals are sent to jurisdictional Zoo.
Earlier in an investigation, the seizure of the kangaroos revealed a connection between a municipal zoo in Indore, Madhya Pradesh and a mysterious animal farm in Mizoram. As per reports, the farm allegedly donated exotic animals like kangaroos to the zoo. However, the existence of such a farm has been denied by officials in Mizoram and the zoo came under the scanner for giving purchase orders for kangaroos without the nod of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).
What needs to be done?
Apart from the suffering the animals had to endure, the illegal trade poses significant biodiversity and disease transfer risks. It is considered to be the fourth largest illicit and organised transnational crime after drugs, arms and human trafficking. "There is a high degree of probability of Zoonotic diseases to spread through such animals. Micro organisms may even target human body in certain cases. It is therefore essential that detailed parasitological studies be conducted before housing them in Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden or similar such places," Prof Choudhury said.
With all the loopholes existing in the smuggling of exotic animals, all the experts have echoed similar concerns. Strict monitoring and vigilance needs to be installed at all important points, especially at inter-state border areas. Several agencies including the Wild Life Control Board, Zoo Authorities, concerned forest departments and even police have a big role to play and identify what is triggering the menace and take necessary steps. Moreover, they are hopeful that with the amendment of the wildlife act necessary actions will be initiated.
