https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Checking Animal Trafficking

Indian Masterminds Stories

Poaching and illegal trade of wild animals have been the biggest bane for the forest department. The market for wildlife has grown exponentially over the years and smugglers have been finding ways and means to beat the enforcement agencies. A major handicap of various agencies is their inability to properly identify a lot of species thus delaying the action and allowing accused traders to get away the dragnet either on the spot or in the court. 

The issue was taken up seriously by Uttarakhand cadre IFS officer of 2008 batch Dr. Saket Badola who ultimately resolved it successfully. Currently posted as Head of TRAFFIC India Programme, WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), India, New Delhi Dr. Badola along with his team has developed identification tools for tortoise & turtles, Seashells or marine molluscs (animal with soft body covered under hard shells) and owl. 

Dr. Badola with his fellow officers in a jungle

In a conversation with Indian mastermindsthe officer talked about how the tool has helped in contolling the illegal trade of wild life. 

NEED OF IDENTIFICATION 

The illegal trade of wildlife is handled not by just the forest department but also by police, various border security and enforcement forces like BSF, ITBP, SSB, CISF. They also seize lot of animals being trafficked. 

India has rich biodiversity. Each animal has number of species. For example, they are 36 species of Owl in which 16 are commonly traded. Similar is the case with parrots, tortoise and seashells. 

Some of these species are protected under the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 while some are not. If the agency slips in the correct identification, they might end up releasing the animal or if they seize it anyway, their case  becomes weak and the accused are released by the court. 

Dr. Badola has been very successful in curbing illegal trafficking of wildlife

Keeping this in mind the Dr. Badola & his team developed identification tools. First one was for turtles & tortoise, another one was for seashells and the latest is for owls. The tool gives 360 degree information about each species in every group including their characteristics & scientific names. 

IMPACT 

Talking about the impact of the tool the Dr. Badola said, “Other than correctly identification & seizure of the wildlife on spot, the tool has been a success in lot other ways. It has helped in spreading awareness among the agencies which are not directly involved in wildlife protection but tackle the trading cases on a daily basis.”

These tools have also reduced lot of time for moving on to the next step after the seizure. For example, if the animal has to be released in the wild after the seizure, the process used to get delayed because of the identification process, he told Indian Masterminds.

With an enhanced awareness about protected species, reporting of animal trafficking in some national park earlier has also increased. 


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
bureaucracy news
Centre Cracks Down on Corruption: 13 Officers to Face Prosecution, 2 RAS Suspended, 7 Lose Pensions in Action Against 28 Officials
UPSC New Logo
UPSC to Publish Provisional Answer Key After Prelims for First Time, Enabling Objections and Transparency
Snow leopard cubs
Himachal Pradesh Records 83 Snow Leopards as Rare Pallas’s Cat and Flying Squirrel Spotted for First Time
Ministry of Mines
Ministry of Mines Opens ₹1,500 Crore Incentive Scheme for Critical Mineral Recycling in India
ICGS Akshar
ICGS Akshar Commissioned at Karaikal: Indigenous Fast Patrol Vessel Boosts Indian Coast Guard Capabilities
TEC IIIT Naya Raipur
TEC and IIIT Naya Raipur Sign MoU to Drive Innovation in 5G, 6G, and Future Telecom Standards
Bhupendra Patel Gujarat Dipotsavi 2081
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Unveils Dipotsavi 2081 Celebrating State’s Rich Literary and Cultural Heritage
CEC Gyanesh Kumar
All Eyes on Bihar: EC Reviews Poll Readiness, CEC IAS Gyanesh Kumar Calls Political Parties Pillars of Democracy
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr G K Goswami IPS
Everything you ever wanted to know about e-murder, e-dacoity and data safety
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
How Siddhartha Saxena Cracked UPSC CAPF AIR 326 Against All Odds
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Sagar Datta Majumdar UPSC CSE 2024 AIR 317
“Don’t get trapped in the vicious cycle of self-doubt,” says UPSC Achiever Sagar Datta Majumdar
Discover how Sagar Datta Majumdar from Agartala, Tripura, cracked UPSC CSE 2024 with All India Rank 317....
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Live Interaction
From Cut-off Dates to Coaching & Reforms: UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Assures Aspirants of Fairness, Transparency & a Future-Ready UPSC | UPSC@100
A Century of Service: The UPSC’s Landmark Year Begins. Chairman Ajay Kumar on UPSC’s Centennial: “Merit,...
Giriraj Parihar MPPSC 2024
From Constable to Deputy Collector: Giriraj Parihar’s 9-Year MPPSC Journey | Farmer’s Son, Brother to Five Sisters
From a jail guard to MPPSC 2024 Rank 8, Giriraj Parihar’s nine-year journey of self-study, hard work,...
Social Media
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
bureaucracy news
Centre Cracks Down on Corruption: 13 Officers to Face Prosecution, 2 RAS Suspended, 7 Lose Pensions in Action Against 28 Officials
UPSC New Logo
UPSC to Publish Provisional Answer Key After Prelims for First Time, Enabling Objections and Transparency
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr G K Goswami IPS
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT