Wildlife Poaching In India Grows During COVID-19 Lockdown -- Study

By Shakir Husain NEW DELHI, June 4 (Bernama) -- Wildlife poaching in India more than doubled during the coronavirus lockdown, according to a study by a conservation group. Eighty-eight poaching cases were reported from March 23 to May 3 compared with 35 during the six-week period before the lockdown, wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC said. "Reports of poaching incidences for consumption and local trade have more than doubled during lockdown although there was no evidence of stockpiling of wildlife products for future trade," it said on Wednesday. Indians observed a self-imposed citizen curfew on March 22, a trial run before the central government imposed a nationwide lockdown starting March 25 to control the spread of COVID-19. The highest increase in poaching was reported to be of ungulates mainly for their meat, and the hunting of small mammals, including hares, porcupines, pangolins, giant squirrels, civets, monkeys, and smaller wild cats showed a marked rise, TRAFFIC said. "Although some (animals) have always been in high demand in international markets, most hunting during the lockdown period is presumably for meat or for local trade," it said. Nine leopards were reported to have been killed during the first six weeks of the lockdown compared to four killed in the pre-lockdown period. The number of people arrested in poaching cases during the lockdown period covered in the study was 222 compared with 85 before the lockdown. -- BERNAMA